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Word of the Day

Word of the day

première danseuse

[ pruh-myer dahn-sz ] [ prə myɛr dɑ̃ˈsz ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

the leading female dancer in a ballet company.

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More about première danseuse

In French, première danseuse means “first dancer,” and the male equivalent is premier danseur. Danseuse comes from the verb danser, “to dance,” of unclear origin. ʰ𳾾è ultimately derives from Latin īܲ, “of the first rank,” from īܲ, “first.” ʰ𳾾è danseuse was first recorded in English in the 1820s.

EXAMPLE OF PREMIÈRE DANSEUSE USED IN A SENTENCE

The première danseuse played the dual roles of Odette and Odile in the production of Swan Lake.

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SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
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Word of the day

chelonian

[ ki-loh-nee-uhn ] [ kɪˈloʊ ni ən ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

belonging or pertaining to a reptilian order comprising turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.

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More about chelonian

Chelonian comes from Ancient Greek ṓnŧ, meaning “turtle, tortoise.” ṓnŧ could have connections with Slavic words for “turtle” or other Ancient Greek words, or it could come from an extinct ancient Mediterranean language. ṓnŧ is not related to Spanish á貹, “tortoise.” Chelonian was first recorded in English in the 1820s.

EXAMPLE OF CHELONIAN USED IN A SENTENCE

A bale of several chelonian critters scurried about in the water, every so often poking their heads out of their shells.

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Word of the day

jarabe ٲ貹í

[ hah-rah-bey tah-pah-tee-aw ] [ hɑˈrɑ bɛ ˌtɑ pɑˈti ɔ ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

a dance of Mexican origin, performed by a couple and consisting of nine figures and melodies, in which the partners often dance facing each other but not touching.

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More about jarabe ٲ貹í

Jarabe means “syrup” in Spanish, while ٲ貹í refers to a person or thing from Guadalajara, a city in Jalisco, Mexico. Spanish jarabe and English syrup both come from Arabic 󲹰, “a drink,” which is related to sherbet and sorbet. ղ貹í derives from the Nahuatl word tlapatiotl, “price, value,” after the Guadalajara area’s notable use of cacao beans as currency. Jarabe ٲ貹í was first recorded in English in the mid-1870s.

EXAMPLE OF JARABE TAPATÍO USED IN A SENTENCE

The dancer dropped his sombrero to the floor as a signal to his partner to begin their jarabe ٲ貹í.

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