cotillion
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9.9
- noun
- /kəˈtɪl.jən/
- Archaic
:
cotillón
- 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
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A lively French dance or music for it from the 1600s and 1700s
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A lively dance from the 1600s or 1700s often used in classical music suites
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A lively court dance from the 1500s and 1600s in three-beat time
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
A slow formal Spanish dance in triple time used in baroque music
A lively 1920s dance with fast steps and swinging arms
A lively Latin American dance with small quick steps and hip movements
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.