trapeze

noun

tra·​peze tra-ˈpēz 

also trə-

: a gymnastic or acrobatic apparatus consisting of a short horizontal bar suspended by two parallel ropes

Examples of trapeze in a Sentence

performing tricks on the trapeze

Recent Examples on the Web

Built in 1894 by Adolph Sutro, the Sutro Baths once stood as the world’s largest indoor swimming facility—featuring seven saltwater pools, slides, trapezes, and seating for 3,700 guests. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

This leather trapeze style is elegant and sleek, with enough room for the essentials and my 13-inch laptop. —Ali Faccenda, InStyle, 19 Jan. 2026

In aerial dance, which also has its roots in the Bay Area, artists fly on trapezes or hang off the face of highrises and cliff faces to create stunning human tableaux. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2026

When the bombers went into enemy territory, the ones carrying a Goblin would open their bomb bays and lower the tiny fighter on a dirty big trapeze. —New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French trapèze, literally, trapezoid, from New Latin trapezium

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trapeze

• agrees
• appease
• bailees
• bougies
• burmese
• chemise
• chickpeas
• chinese
• cowpeas
• curies
• decrees
• degrees

Kids Definition

trapeze

noun

tra·​peze tra-ˈpēz 

: a gymnastic or acrobatic device consisting of a short horizontal bar hung from two parallel ropes