marquee
UK[mɑːˈkiː]US[mɑːrˈkiː]
n
a large tent used for social or commercial events.
n
a canopy over the entrance of a building, especially a theater or hotel.
n
(chiefly north american) a sign over the entrance to a theater or arena displaying the names of featured performers or events.
Etymology
the word 'marquee' entered english in the late 17th century from the french 'marquise', meaning 'marchioness' (the wife of a marquis). the semantic shift is intriguing: the term was first applied to a type of large, elegant tent, perhaps humorously likening its grandeur to that associated with a noblewoman. from this, it extended to refer to the permanent canopy over a theater entrance, which often bore the name of the establishment or performance. in 20th-century american english, the meaning further specialized to denote the sign itself that displays performers' names, completing the journey from a title of nobility to a fixture of commercial entertainment.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from french. it is not productively formed from separable english morphemes and is therefore treated as a simplex form.
Examples
they set up a large white marquee in the garden for the wedding reception.
we waited under the theater's marquee to escape the sudden rain.
the band's name was finally in lights on the concert hall's marquee.