Meanings
proper nounthe Scottish play
- William Shakespeare's play Macbeth.
Origin
The play is set in Scotland, and there is a theatrical superstition that speaking the actual name of the play inside a theatre will cause disaster.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Scottish play. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Scottish%20play
MLA
“Scottish play.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Scottish%20play. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Scottish play,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Scottish%20play.
Source: Scottish play on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.