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💃 A square dance 🎶 Dance music
quadrille

quadrille

1 9.9
A lively square dance for four couples with set steps
  • noun
  • /kwəˈdril/
  • Archaic
translation icon : cuadrilla
  • Months before the events, children were taught by both men and women how to dance the Quadrille des Lanciers, a very archaic dance resembling a minuet.
  • dance the quadrille

Examples

  • First the jig and the quadrille, then the saraband: the group dances.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Miss Covington, I believe I have the honour of this next quadrille.

    Major Dundee (1965)

  • Ladies and gentlemen, the imperial quadrille.

    The Legend of Zorro (2005)

  • Princess Kitty, may I ask you for the quadrille?

    Anna Karenina (1997)

  • Oh, dear, I have a quadrille with the Prince of Prussia next.

    The Young Victoria (2009)

  • His older brother, William, Lord Taylor, was escorting his wife to the drawing room, where a quadrille was about to begin.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • They learned Scottish reels, country dances, and quadrilles.

    Academic text (1993)

  • It is highly probable that if a tourist asked a Bocatorenean about their "typical" dances, they would respond that quadrille and Maypole are the most relevant.

    Academic text (2006)

  • After the dinner, the guests excitedly formed couples to dance the quadrille in the grand ballroom.

  • The lively quadrille featured intricate patterns, showcasing the grace and skill of the dancers.

Synonyms

square dance
vsquadrille
  • US
3 3.3

A country dance with four couples in a square led by a caller

uses set distinct figures and can involve four or more couples

Surface Forms

quadrille singular
quadrilles plural

Etymology

Quadrille comes from Italian quadriglia, which means a small 'square' or group and from a root that means 'four'. So, the dance was done by four couples in a square, and the name reminds us it is a lively square dance for four couples.