: an ornament or style that employs flower, foliage, or fruit and sometimes animal and figural outlines to produce an intricate pattern of interlaced lines
2
: a posture (as in ballet) in which the body is bent forward from the hip on one leg with one arm extended forward and the other arm and leg backward
3
: an elaborate or intricate pattern
… richly pierced by an arabesque of wormholes.—John Chase
: of, relating to, or being in the style of arabesque or an arabesque
arabesque frescoes
Examples of arabesque in a Sentence
Noun
The students practiced their arabesques.
She held her arms in arabesque.
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Noun
There are straight lunges, lunges with rotations, lunges with rotations and lunges into arabesques (standing on one leg with the other extended behind you), during which Eduardo manages to stay impressively upright.—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025 Playful birds, geometric motifs, red hearts and golden arabesques weave together in a dreamlike composition, transforming utilitarian objects into poetic expressions of joy and wonder.—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The 20-meter pool with its eight columns of arabesque marble create a striking centerpiece for enjoying a treatment with Augustinus Bader products—or for simply taking a swim beside the 19th-century replicas of classical statues.—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 16 July 2025 The decor is decidedly beachy — twisted abaca chairs, linen cushions and curtains, and arabesque tile floors that immediately cool your feet when coming inside from the nearby beach.—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for arabesque
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
French, from Italian arabesco Arabian in fashion, from arabo Arab, from Latin Arabus
: an ornament or style of decoration that uses outlines of flowers, leaves, branches, or fruit and sometimes animal and human figures to produce a pattern of lines that cross over one another
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