pas de deux
Americannoun
plural
pas de deux-
a dance by two persons.
-
(in classical ballet) a set dance for a ballerina and a danseur noble, consisting typically of an entrée, an adagio, a variation for each dancer, and a coda.
noun
Etymology
Origin of pas de deux
1755–65; < French: literally, step for two
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.
On this week’s Slate Plus exclusive, Timothée Chalamet enters the pas de deux between an Oscar-nominated actor and a public itching for a villain.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
For the occasion, artistic director Susan Jaffe astutely chose 11 one-act ballets and four pas de deux.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
But their eventual pas de deux will send viewers scrambling to rewatch the smoke-and-mirrors mystery thriller to uncover everything that initially went unnoticed.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2024
A recent weekday rehearsal at ABT’s studios found the two going over some intricate pas de deux, or duets — navigating tricky lifts, smoothing over trouble spots, figuring out pacing.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2023
Hardly a pas de deux, there was a seesaw of results: wins for Bobby...draws...wins for Reshevsky.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
