polonaise

[ pol-uh-neyz, poh-luh- ]

/ ˌpɒl əˈneɪz, ˌpoʊ lə- /

noun

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

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

Also pol·o·nese

[pol-uh-neez, -nees, poh-luh-] /ˌpɒl əˈniz, -ˈnis, ˌpoʊ lə-/. a coatlike outer dress, combining bodice and cutaway overskirt, worn in the late 18th century over a separate skirt.

Nearby words

polo coat, polo pony, polo shirt, polo, marco, polokwane, polonaise, polonese, polonium, polonius, polonize, polonnaruwa

Origin of polonaise

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for polonaise

There is also a healthy vigour, which, for instance, in the A major Polonaise assumes a brilliantly-heroic form.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks
The Polonaise ended the ball, and my mother sent us all off to sleep.
Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No 3, September 1863|Various
After their Majesties have made the circle of the diplomatic corps, the Polonaise, which always opens a Court ball, commences.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 93, July, 1865|Various
More of the Chopinesque than in the Polonaise may be discovered in the Introduction, which was less of a piece d'occasion.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks

I remind you once more of the Polonaise; please send it by return.
Frederic Chopin, v. 1 (of 2)|Moritz Karasowski

British Dictionary definitions for polonaise

polonaise

/ (ˌpɒləˈneɪz) /

noun

a ceremonial marchlike dance in three-four time from Poland

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

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

Word Origin for polonaise

C18: from French danse polonaise Polish dance

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

Word Origin and History for polonaise

polonaise

1773, "woman's overdress" (from fancied resemblance to Polish costume); 1797, "stately dance," from French (danse) polonaise "a Polish (dance)," fem. of polonais (adj.) "Polish," from Pologne "Poland," from Medieval Latin Polonia "Poland" (see Poland). In the culinary sense, applied to dishes supposed to be cooked in Polish style, attested from 1889.