polonaise

American  

[pol-uh-nayz, 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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polonaise

She said there is a huge community, including entire families, that dance the polonaise and pass the tradition on.

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

At the conclusion of the banquet the Court returned to the Saloon of St. George, where the music struck up a polonaise, which was led off by the Emperor.

From The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852 by Various

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