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ballet
[ ba-ley, bal-ey ]
/ bæˈleɪ, ˈbæl eɪ /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.
an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.
a company of ballet dancers.
the musical score for a ballet: the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.
a dance or balletlike performance: an ice-skating ballet.
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Origin of ballet
OTHER WORDS FROM ballet
bal·let·ic [ba-let-ik, buh-], /bæˈlɛt ɪk, bə-/, adjectivebal·let·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby ballet
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ballet in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ballet
ballet
/ (ˈbæleɪ, bæˈleɪ) /
noun
- a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity
- (as modifier)ballet dancer
a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers
a troupe of ballet dancers
a piece of music written for a ballet
Derived forms of ballet
balletic (bæˈlɛtɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for ballet
C17: from French, from Italian balletto literally: a little dance, from ballare to dance; 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 ballet
ballet
Theatrical entertainment in which dancers, usually accompanied by music, tell a story or express a mood through their movements. The technique of ballet is elaborate and requires many years of training. Two classical ballets are Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Two great modern ballets are The Rite of Spring, composed by Igor Stravinsky, and Fancy Free, by Leonard Bernstein.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.