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pas

pas

4 9.9
A small dance step in ballet
  • noun
  • /pɑː/
  • Specialized
: paso
  • a faux pas

Examples

  • Our next visit is to the site of Ruapekapeka, the best preserved of the historic pas.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Just south of the Auckland Museum, the sites of fortified Maori hilltop villages, or pas, rise above the suburbs atop magnificent volcanic cones.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The dancer executed a flawless pas during the performance, impressing the entire audience.

  • A well-timed pas can elevate a ballet routine to a new level of elegance and artistry.

  • In classical ballet, each pas contributes to the overall beauty of the dance sequence.

Synonyms

step
vspas
69 1.0

A sequence of foot movements that form part of a dance

is used mainly in classical ballet, not in general dance contexts
dance move
vspas
23 2.6

A specific step or movement done during a dance

focuses on ballet footwork rather than a general single movement
dance step
vspas
11 1.9

A set of foot movements that form part of a dance

is specific to classical ballet rather than any dance style

Idioms

6 9.9

A short French phrase added at the end of a sentence to ask if someone agrees

Compounds

15 8.8

An embarrassing act or remark that upsets people in social situations

pas de deux
  • Specialized
4 9.5

A dance for two people in ballet, often a man and a woman

A narrow sea passage between England and France

pas de trois
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A dance for three dancers in a ballet

A former region in northeastern France on the border with Belgium, with industry and a coastline

pas de quatre
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A dance for four dancers in a ballet

pas seul
  • Specialized
9.9

A solo dance for one dancer in ballet

How Complex

variation
  • Jargon
1 7.2
sequence
342 3.2
pas
  • Specialized
4 9.9
step
450 1.0

Surface Forms

pas singular
pas plural

Etymology

Pas comes from French and simply means 'step', so in ballet it names a single dance movement. It comes from an older word for 'step', the same root you see in English words like pace and passage, so a pas is one 'step' in a dance.