ballerina

1785–95; <Italian, feminine of ballerino professional dancer, probably equivalent to baller(ia) dance (ball(are) to dance (<Late Latin; see ball²) + -eria<Old French; see -ery) + -ino-ine¹

Words nearby ballerina

ball club, ball cock, ball control, balled-and-burlapped, baller, ballerina, Ballesteros, ballet, ballet blanc, ballet flat, ballet master

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ballerina in a sentence

If the original CRISPR-Cas9 is a dancer with two left feet, prime editing is a highly-trained ballerina.
Super-Precise CRISPR Gene Editing Tool Is Set to Tackle Tough Genetic Diseases|Shelly Fan|October 19, 2021|Singularity Hub
Silver-furred, shiny-eyed and svelte as they come, Tika boasts a jaw-dropping wardrobe of rainbow-streaked fleece, baggy sweatshirts, rose tulle ballerina dresses and more!
The Jobs Animals Do|Sohini Das Gupta|September 5, 2021|Ozy
Carla Fracci, a reigning ballerina of the 20th century, acclaimed for the drama she conferred on roles such as Giselle, and for the ethereal grace she brought to stages in her native Italy and around the world, died May 27 at her home in Milan.
Carla Fracci, a reigning star of 20th-century ballet, dies at 84|Emily Langer|May 30, 2021|Washington Post
Currently, I am a former professional dancer and former model, former ballerina.
The Very Ms. C.J. Perry!|Eugene Robinson|May 25, 2021|Ozy

In 1982, Allen hired a young, ambitious ballerina to dance on “Fame.”
The astonishing ubiquity of Debbie Allen|Ashley Fetters|May 14, 2021|Washington Post
Olga had served as a professional ballerina for the Ballets Russes up until she met Picasso in 1917.
Revealing The Unseen Picasso|Justin Jones|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not necessarily having a big fat ass, because ballerina bodies are in.
#ButtSchool - How Porn Stars Work Out: Pop Physique Promises the Perfect Derriere|Aurora Snow|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was bisexual and a ballerina, and this was while I was at the Atlantic Theater Company in Vermont.
Jessica Alba on 'Sin City,' Typecasting, and How Homophobia Pushed Her Away From the Church|Marlow Stern|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After seeing Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova perform in Cairo, Iolas knew he wanted to be an artiste.
Alexander Iolas: The Secret King of Surrealism|Justin Jones|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like the gymnast and the ballerina, the distance runner is often defined by drive and compulsion.
Are Female Long-Distance Runners More Prone To Suicidal Depression?|Emily de la Bruyere|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was something of the ballerina in her temperament, also, which she never entirely outgrew.
Memoirs of an American Prima Donna|Clara Louise Kellogg
Yes; my daughter, she was here, and she is a ballerina and she was visiting Dallas a few times and she knew some people here.
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
You know, my daughter is ballerina and so even I have pictures somewhere with her.
Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Primo ballerino good; prima ballerina good, and people say pretty, but I have not seen her near.
The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vol. 1|Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
He, Mr. Churchill, and Mr. Lloyd George might almost have been called rivals for the rle of prima ballerina assoluta.
Experiences of a Dug-out, 1914-1918|Sir Stanley Maude

British Dictionary definitions for ballerina

ballerina

/ (ˌbæləˈriːnə) /

noun

a female ballet dancer

US the principal female dancer of a ballet company

Word Origin for ballerina

C18: from Italian, feminine of ballerino dancing master, from ballare to dance, from Late Latin ballāre : see ball ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for ballerina

ballerina

In ballet, a female dancer. (See prima ballerina.)

ballerina

Origin of ballerina

Words nearby ballerina

Words related to ballerina

How to use ballerina in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ballerina

Word Origin for ballerina

Cultural definitions for ballerina