quadrille

1 of 2

noun

qua·​drille kwä-ˈdril 

kwə-, 

kə-

1

: a four-handed variant of ombre popular especially in the 18th century

2

: a square dance for four couples made up of five or six figures chiefly in ⁶/₈ and ²/₄ time

also : music for this dance

quadrille

2 of 2

adjective

: marked with squares or rectangles

Did you know?

The quadrille, named for its four couples that form the sides of a square, seems to have begun as a French country dance. In the 18th century it became fashionable among the French nobility; as performed by elegantly dressed aristocrats, it became slow and formal. It crossed over to England and from there to New England, where it turned back into a dance for the common people. It soon evolved into the American square dance, a lively type of dance that employs a "caller" to make sure everyone remembers the steps.

Examples of quadrille in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The women just appear to have gotten lost on their way to quadrille practice and stumbled into a Pina Bausch class. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026

One aspect of that cultural exchange was the square form in group dances, which the French called the quadrille. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Dancers demonstrate the quadrille—a square dance of French origin accompanied by traditional quelbe folk music. — Nikki Miller-Ka, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026

In the classes, the Myers duo focuses on teaching dances that were popular in the 1800s, including the waltz, polka, mazurka and quadrille. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, group of knights engaged in a carousel, from Spanish cuadrilla troop, from diminutive of cuadra square, from Latin quadra, quadrum

Adjective

French quadrillé

First Known Use

Noun

1726, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quadrille

• benadryl

Kids Definition

quadrille

noun

qua·​drille

kwä-ˈdril, 

k(w)ə-

: a square dance for four couples or music for this dance