ballet

[ba-ley, bal-ey] /bæˈleɪ, ˈbæl eɪ/
noun
1.
a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
2.
a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.
3.
an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.
4.
a company of ballet dancers.
5.
the musical score for a ballet:
the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.
6.
a dance or balletlike performance:
an ice-skating ballet.
Origin
1660-70; < French, Middle French < Italian balletto, equivalent to ball(o) ball2 + -etto -et
Related forms
balletic
[ba-let-ik, buh-] /bæˈlɛt ɪk, bə-/ (Show IPA), adjective
balletically, adverb
Can be confused
ballad, ballet, ballot.
Examples from the web for ballet
  • Neither of us would, even under the threat of being pilloried, attend a performance of the ballet.
  • The icing on the cake is the sea of birds behind and all of it graced with the far mountain balancing the aerial ballet.
  • The city hosts a number of annual festivals and has its own ballet and symphony.
  • Other computer programs can meld clips from movies, plays, or ballet.
  • The feet of a ballet dancer, a long distance runner, a place kicker.
  • One event features a synchronized demonstration known as kite ballet.
  • Locals would attend the theatre and ballet and dine on caviar and champagne.
  • From ballet to break-dance, from the hora to hip-hop, this country stays moving on the dance floor.
  • They soar in great circles, dozens of birds wheeling together in an aerial ballet.
  • It's closer to controlling a ballet dancer than a mutant psychotic.
British Dictionary definitions for ballet

ballet

/ˈbæleɪ; bæˈleɪ/
noun
1.
  1. a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity
  2. (as modifier): ballet dancer
2.
a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers
3.
a troupe of ballet dancers
4.
a piece of music written for a ballet
Derived Forms
balletic (bæˈlɛtɪk) adjective
Word Origin
C17: from French, from Italian balletto literally: a little dance, from ballare to dance; see ball²
Word Origin and History for ballet
n.

1660s, from French ballette from Italian balletto, diminutive of ballo "a dance" (see ball (n.2)). Balletomane attested by 1930.

ballet in Culture

ballet definition


Theatrical entertainment in which dancers, usually accompanied by music, tell a story or express a mood through their movements. The technique of ballet is elaborate and requires many years of training. Two classical ballets are Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Two great modern ballets are The Rite of Spring, composed by Igor Stravinsky, and Fancy Free, by Leonard Bernstein.