scene [LME] The scenes in behind the scenes, ‘in private’, are the pieces of scenery on a theatre stage. This reflects the origin of scene, which is ultimately from Greek skēnē ‘tent, stage’, source also of scenario [L17th], scenery [L17th], and scenic [E17th]. The theatrical associations of scene gave us the meaning ‘a public display of emotion or anger’, which is early 19th century.