leotard
Americannoun
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leotards
plural
noun
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a tight-fitting garment covering the body from the shoulders down to the thighs and worn by acrobats, ballet dancers, etc
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(plural) another name for tights
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of leotard
1915–20; named after Jules Léotard, 19th-century French aerialist
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Explanation
The tight, stretchy, one-piece garment that gymnasts and dancers wear is called a leotard. If you take a ballet class, you may wear a leotard and tights. Leotards are worn by performers and athletes of many types, including figure skaters, ballerinas, acrobats, superheroes, aerobics instructors, and more. While a leotard leaves the legs bare, a unitard covers the legs as well. The French acrobat Jules Léotard is credited with inventing the leotard, although he called it a maillot. The leotard came to be named for Léotard in 1886, long after his death.
Vocabulary lists containing leotard
You Name It: Eponyms
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Curtain Call: Dance and Theater Terms
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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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.
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Poised on a colorful, carpeted platform in a gleaming leotard, with a hefty brown braid of hair falling over one shoulder, Folan would spend her program reaching, bending, breathing and twisting her limbs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
"My hips are wider and I haven't tried on a leotard yet," she smiled.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
One is familiar and increasingly specific: a good leotard, fleece-lined tights, an extra water bottle, Band-Aids for blisters, putty-colored flats for barre, a pair of low, strappy heels for salsa.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026
“In six years of showgirling, this has been my worst summer,” said a different young woman, this one dressed in a purple leotard.
From Slate ● Nov. 18, 2025
Beatriz has on a bright-red leotard with a long, white, ruffly skirt and a blue silk flower in her hair.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
During middle school, she had her father paint the same lines on a pair of dance leotards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Delpierre marvels at the thousands of garments, ranging from vests and tunics to dresses and leotards displayed in a large warehouse near Geneva.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
“I’m still in shock that those leg warmers and leotards caught on the way they did,” Fonda wrote to supporters in April.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
It was in 1972 that Bowie first adopted his most famous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, complete with flared jumpsuits and sparkling leotards.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2024
After a few days, Nino Carlitos apologized and bought her an aerobics book full of photos of thin, fair women in shiny leotards and leg warmers.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
