entrechat

noun

en·​tre·​chat ˈäⁿ(n)-trə-ˌshä How to pronounce entrechat (audio)
: a leap in which a ballet dancer repeatedly crosses the legs and sometimes beats them together

Examples of entrechat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Take the moment in Act 2 when Albrecht, the morally deficient nobleman who’s been bewitched to dance himself to death, begins his coda with a bravura series of entrechat-sixes. Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2020 Khozashvili pushed Dunn away at one point; Dunn faced off with Kuranaga before tossing off a solo of quick beats and entrechats; Kuranaga got between Breen Combes and Dunn; Baranova and Tapp briefly exchanged partners for no apparent reason. Jeffrey Gantz, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2018 Breschi and Ataide took turns practicing the swift and buoyant movements in the dance-until-death scene, which includes more than 20 entrechats, or Olympian jumps while the legs scissor back and forth. Marcia Manna, sandiegouniontribune.com, 8 Mar. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entrechat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, modification of Italian (capriola) intrecciata, literally, intertwined caper

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of entrechat was in 1706

Dictionary Entries Near entrechat

Cite this Entry

“Entrechat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrechat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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