cotillion

American  

[kuh-til-yuhn, koh-] / kəˈtɪl yən, koʊ- /

noun

1. a formal ball given especially for debutantes.

2. a lively French social dance originating in the 18th century, consisting of a variety of steps and figures and performed by couples.

3. any of various dances resembling the quadrille.

4. music arranged or played for these dances.

5. a formalized dance for a large number of people, in which a head couple leads the other dancers through elaborate and stately figures.

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cotillion British  

/ kəˈtɪljən, kəʊ- /

noun

1. a French formation dance of the 18th century

2. a quadrille

3. a complicated dance with frequent changes of partners

4. a formal ball, esp one at which debutantes are presented

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Etymology

Origin of cotillion

1760–70; < French cotillon kind of dance, in Old French: petticoat, equivalent to cote coat + -illon diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

The courtly gentleman guided women around the floor to big band standards with all the aplomb of teenage boys waltzing at a cotillion dance they’ve been forced to attend by their parents.

From Salon

Pink was the color of the gown she was wearing when she died in a buggy crash coming home from a cotillion.

From Los Angeles Times

The enterprising president of the Harriet Holland Social Club just wants the cotillion to be successful.

From New York Times

They gathered in Black fraternities and sororities, at cotillions, bridge parties.

From Scientific American

Meanwhile, local newspapers report Ruth’s courthouse outfits in detail, and cover cotillions and debutante balls just as assiduously as the trial.

From Washington Post