polonaise

American  

[pol-uh-neyz, poh-luh-] / ˌpɒl əˈneɪz, ˌpoʊ lə- /

noun

1. a slow dance of Polish origin, in triple meter, consisting chiefly of a march or promenade in couples.

2. a piece of music for, or in the rhythm of, such a dance.

3. Also polonese a coatlike outer dress, combining bodice and cutaway overskirt, worn in the late 18th century over a separate skirt.

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polonaise British  

/ ˌpɒləˈneɪz /

noun

1. a ceremonial marchlike dance in three-four time from Poland

2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

3. a woman's costume with a tight bodice and an overskirt drawn back to show a decorative underskirt

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Etymology

Origin of polonaise

1765–75; < French, feminine of polonais Polish, equivalent to Polon- (< Medieval Latin Polonia Poland) + -ais -ese

Example Sentences

The leader of the Lodz street dance, Janusz Wielgosz, who donned a historic outfit for the occasion, said the polonaise is about beauty.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2024

Yang articulated Chopin’s “Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante” in gentle ripples that surged into grand waves of sound from the orchestra.

From Washington Post • Jul. 2, 2021

Sibelius’ beloved concerto is not dance-based, although a critic once likened the last movement to a polonaise for polar bears.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2018

Each year, on Constitution Day, the Jan Pietrzak Patriotic Association hosts a performance of the polonaise, a traditional dance.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 23, 2018

The Count made a sign to the musicians, and the dignified polonaise was converted into a rapid waltz.

From The Eichhofs A Romance by Reichenbach, Moritz von