pirouette

play

noun pir·ou·ette \ ˌpir-ə-ˈwet \

Definition of pirouette

:a rapid whirling about of the body; especially :a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet

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pirouette

intransitive verb

See pirouette defined for English-language learners

See pirouette defined for kids

Examples of pirouette in a Sentence

the elegant pirouettes of the prima ballerina
the ballerina's perfectly executed pirouette

Recent Examples of pirouette from the Web

Two of the raconteurs tapped for the task were Emerald City writer-directors Megan Griffiths and Dayna Hanson, whose paths to the acclaimed show were as different as a boxer’s punch and a dancer’s pirouette.

— jake uitti, The Seattle Times, "Seattle filmmakers Megan Griffiths, Dayna Hanson check into HBO’s ‘Room 104’," 30 Aug. 2017
Like a ballerina who fixes her eyes on one spot in order not to lose balance while performing the perfect pirouette, Lysa once again shared her pain, while committing to stay focused on her God.

— atlanta life, ajc, "Actions after storm determine course of future," 23 June 2017
The jets sway and pirouette to music on a stage of interlaced basins, canals and circular pools.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "This is what a $90 million water fountain looks like," 29 May 2017
When the team tested the system on ida from 120,000 feet, her spinning slowed from 400 rpm to 22 rpm, a gentle pirouette.

— laura parker, The Atlantic, "Skydiving From the Edge of Space," 16 May 2017
That led to Kershaw executing a pirouette, spinning in the air when a call did not go his way during a walk of Wil Myers.

— bill plunkett, Orange County Register, "Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw dominant and Cody Bellinger goes deep in win over Padres," 6 May 2017
The title song allows Jerry and Lise to finally express their passion silently, powerfully, through their bodies — all pirouettes, lifts and fluid embraces.

— joanne ostrow, The Know, "Review: Soaring, exuberant “American in Paris” at the Buell is more than pretty," 13 Mar. 2017
An early showing of the piece, in 2015, included a winning demonstration of how George Balanchine, who defined a high-speed American style of ballet, finessed the physics of the pirouette.

— siobhan burke, New York Times, "Emily Coates’s ‘Incarnations’: Quantum Leaps, When Physics Meets Dance," 10 Mar. 2017
When a euphoric Venus Williams picked up the pace of her celebratory pirouette and the crowd responded with thunderous applause, Serena Williams waited quietly in the adjacent corridor for the buzz to subside.

— john pye, Orange County Register, "Serena, Venus say all-Williams final in Australian Open is a win-win," 27 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pirouette.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pirouette

French, literally, teetotum

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1706

See Words from the same year

pirouette Synonyms

Synonyms

gyration, spin, reel, revolution, roll, rotation, twirl, wheel, whirl

Related Words

circuit, circulation, ring, round; coil, curl, curve, spiral, twist, whorl; circle, orbit; eddy, swirl

Other Dance Terms

attitude, honor, saltatory, sashay, taw

PIROUETTE Defined for English Language Learners

pirouette

play

noun

Definition of pirouette for English Language Learners

: a full turn on the front of one foot in ballet

Learn More about pirouette

See words that rhyme with pirouette Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pirouette Spanish Central: Translation of pirouette Nglish: Translation of pirouette for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pirouette

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pirouette

Definition of pirouette

pirouette

Examples of pirouette in a Sentence

Recent Examples of pirouette from the Web

Origin and Etymology of pirouette

pirouette Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Dance Terms

PIROUETTE Defined for English Language Learners

pirouette

Definition of pirouette for English Language Learners

Learn More about pirouette

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pirouette

Definition of pirouette

pirouette

From the M-W Editors

Examples of pirouette in a Sentence

Recent Examples of pirouette from the Web

Origin and Etymology of pirouette

pirouette Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Dance Terms

PIROUETTE Defined for English Language Learners

pirouette

Definition of pirouette for English Language Learners

Learn More about pirouette

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

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