cotillion
1
9.9
- noun
- /kəˈtɪl.jən/
- Archaic
- The couples glided gracefully across the floor, performing a lively cotillion at the grand ball.
Examples
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I led the cotillion in this dress a long time ago, and I won the cakewalk at Sunset Hill.
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I guess mom's cotillion lessons never paid off.
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Lord help him, he had been the life of the party; he had helped to run the cotillion.
Fiction book (1997) -
Okay, cotillion, ignore those guys.
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Camilla reluctantly joins the major only after his assurance that she can dance a cotillion with him, and country dances will follow.
Academic text (2018) -
She practiced her steps diligently, hoping to impress everyone with her cotillion dance at the upcoming gala.
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At the community center, participants enjoyed a cotillion complete with live music and elegant attire.
Synonyms
27
6.1
A lively Latin American dance with small quick steps and hip movements
5
8.0
A lively 1920s dance with fast steps and swinging arms
2
9.9
A lively French dance or music for it from the 1600s and 1700s
1
9.9
A lively court dance from the 1500s and 1600s in three-beat time
1
9.9
A lively dance from the 1600s or 1700s often used in classical music suites
1
9.9
A slow formal Spanish dance in triple time used in baroque music
A lively social dance with set steps for couples at formal parties
A lively dance from Provence where people join hands and move in a long line
How Lively
Surface Forms
Etymology
Cotillion comes from the French cotillon, which meant 'petticoat' or 'small skirt', because the group dance made the skirts move a lot in 18th-century France. That's why a cotillion is a lively, formal group dance often done at social balls.