ballet
Americannoun
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a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
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a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.
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an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.
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a company of ballet dancers.
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the musical score for a ballet.
the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.
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a dance or balletlike performance.
an ice-skating ballet.
noun
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a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity
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( as modifier )
ballet dancer
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a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers
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a troupe of ballet dancers
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a piece of music written for a ballet
Other Word Forms
- balletic adjective
- balletically adverb
Etymology
Origin of ballet
1660–70; < French, Middle French < Italian balletto, equivalent to ball ( o ) ball 2 + -etto -et
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chastain stars as Jennifer McCarthy, a wealthy San Francisco philanthropist and socialite who runs a foundation that supports a ballet school in Mexico City.
From Los Angeles Times
"Some people ask for a teleprompter that displays the ballet sequences, but not at the BBL!" he laughs.
From Barron's
In addition to the more traditional Chinese performances, including lion and dragon dancers, this year’s parade featured marching bands, ballet folklórico dancers and a bagpipe troupe, highlighting the event’s theme: “Unity in the Community.”
From Los Angeles Times
Much like ballet, kabuki necessitates precise choreographed actions: Not only does “Kokuho” provide generous samples of different kabuki pieces but also includes captions that list the title of the individual works and a brief synopsis.
From Los Angeles Times
The night before, at its New Stage, she was at a ballet based on an Anton Chekhov work.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
