pirouette

noun

pir·​ou·​ette ˌpir-ə-ˈwet 

: a rapid whirling about of the body

especially : a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet

pirouette intransitive verb

Synonyms of pirouette

• rotation
• twirl
• spin
• curve
• roll

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 triad moves across the grey room in a dizzying chain of matching pirouettes, drawing a slow circle one after another as arpeggiating harp fills the bare space with sound. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026

Or whips around his defender in a bold pirouette. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

Each pirouette inspires the next prima ballerina. —Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

Allow Opulence to Star Picking up items from Anthropologie’s New York City Ballet can bring Nutcrackercore to your home quicker than a pirouette. —Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, teetotum

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pirouette

• des
• eh
• heh
• yeh
• kopje
• tempeh
• yahweh

Kids Definition

pirouette

noun

pir·​ou·​ette ˌpir-ə-ˈwet 

: a rapid whirling of the body

especially : a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet

pirouette verb