pirouette

noun

pir·​ou·​ette ˌpir-ə-ˈwet How to pronounce pirouette (audio)
: a rapid whirling about of the body
especially : a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet
pirouette intransitive verb

Examples of pirouette in a Sentence

the elegant pirouettes of the prima ballerina the ballerina's perfectly executed pirouette
Recent Examples on the Web The Little Mermaid star was honored as one of Glamour UK’s Women of the Year for 2023, and for the October 17 celebration in London, Bailey wore a strapless minidress whose voluminous miniskirt seemed designed for doing pirouettes. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 Oct. 2023 Then came Newsom’s Sunday night pirouette, a reflection of one of his worst traits: a reactive, short-sighted impulse to act in the moment with little heed for longer-term consequences. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023 This is helpful for a dancer doing pirouettes or a gym-goer warming up with side planks. Jennifer Nied, Women's Health, 30 Aug. 2023 The secret’s out: Simone Biles is back on her own terms, ready to enhance an already remarkable legacy built not just on vaults and pirouettes but also on having inspired conversations about the importance of athletes’ mental health. Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2023 The piercing recoil of the board calls on spectators and competitors eagerly anticipating his mid-air pirouettes and gyrations. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 July 2023 Much of her recent work is more emphatically three-dimensional, giving it a kinship with the prints of Gail Shaw-Clemons, some of which pirouette gracefully off the wall. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 16 June 2023 His dumpster diving partner was performing ballet pirouettes and graceful leaps in the parking lot. Matt Kempner, ajc, 22 June 2023 Others undergo extensive training to suppress dizziness while spinning: Professional ballet dancers complete countless pirouettes with ease, for example, and circus performers often dangle gracefully from ropes dozens of feet in the air. Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pirouette.' 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, literally, teetotum

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pirouette was in 1706

Dictionary Entries Near pirouette

Cite this Entry

“Pirouette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pirouette. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

pirouette

noun
pir·​ou·​ette ˌpir-ə-ˈwet How to pronounce pirouette (audio)
: a rapid whirling of the body
especially : a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet
pirouette verb

More from Merriam-Webster on pirouette

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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