Nureyev

American

[noo-rey-ef, -ev, noo-ryey-yif] / nʊˈreɪ ɛf, -ɛv, nuˈryeɪ yɪf /

noun

Rudolf (Hametovich) 1938–93, Russian ballet dancer and choreographer; Austrian citizen 1982.

Nureyev British

/ njʊˈreɪ-, ˈnjʊərɪɛf /

noun

Rudolf. 1938–93, Austrian ballet dancer, born in the Soviet Union: he lived in England (1961–83) and France (1983–89). He became an Austrian citizen in 1982

"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

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.

I got in and found myself sitting next to Rudolf Nureyev.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

He was born Feb. 9, 1985, in Leningrad and was a graduate of the distinguished Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, whose notable male alumni also include Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2024

Nureyev, a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer, defected from the Soviet Union to the West in 1961.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2023

Pierre Lacotte, a French ballet choreographer who helped superstar Rudolf Nureyev defect from the Soviet Union, has died aged 91.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2023

Lynn Seymour, a ballerina from Wainwright, Alberta, who pushed back against stuffiness in ballet and who partnered with Nureyev, Baryshnikov and others, has died at 83.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023