pavane

Also pav·an

[puh-vahn, -van, pa-van]

noun

plural

pavanes 

1. a stately dance dating from the 16th century.

2. the music for this dance.

pavane

/ -ˈvæn, ˈpævən, pəˈvɑːn /

noun

1. a slow and stately dance of the 16th and 17th centuries

2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance, usually characterized by a slow stately triple time

Word History and Origins

Origin of pavane¹

1525–35; < Middle French < Italian pavana, contraction of padovana (feminine) of Padua ( Italian Padova )

Word History and Origins

Origin of pavane¹

C16 pavan, via French from Spanish pavana, from Old Italian padovana Paduan (dance), from Padova Padua

Example Sentences

Still, there is that perfectly shaped pearl of a pavane that, throughout it all, stays in the memory.

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The trick is to listen closely to, say, a splendidly meandering Byrd pavane without the distracting frustration of fussing over what your ears miss, because you will miss much.

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Without the closest of listening, the seven pavanes can otherwise, most agreeably but also least convincingly, simply flow by as inspired background music.

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The musicians started to play, and the dancers paired for a stately pavane.

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When they had recovered enough to look around them, Kaisa said, “It is only a pavane. Come, the steps are simple.”

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