Library / English Dictionary

TERPSICHOREAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A performer who dances professionally

Synonyms:

dancer; professional dancer; terpsichorean

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("terpsichorean" is a kind of...):

performer; performing artist (an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "terpsichorean"):

taxi dancer (a woman employed to dance with patrons who pay a fee for each dance)

tap dancer; tapper (a dancer who sounds out rhythms by using metal taps on the toes and heels of the shoes)

nautch girl (a professional dancing girl in India)

kachina (a masked dancer during a Pueblo religious ceremony who is thought to embody some particular spirit)

hoofer; stepper (a professional dancer)

dance master; dancing-master (a professional teacher of dancing)

chorine; chorus girl; showgirl (a woman who dances in a chorus line)

belly dancer; exotic belly dancer; exotic dancer (a woman who performs a solo belly dance)

ballet mistress (a woman who directs and teaches and rehearses dancers for a ballet company)

ballet master (a man who directs and teaches and rehearses dancers for a ballet company)

ballet dancer (a trained dancer who is a member of a ballet company)

Instance hyponyms:

Lola Montez; Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert; Montez (Irish dancer (1818-1861))

Nijinsky; Vaslav Nijinsky; Waslaw Nijinsky (Russian dancer considered by many to be the greatest dancer of the 20th century (1890-1950))

Nureyev; Rudolf Nureyev (Russian dancer who was often the partner of Dame Margot Fonteyn and who defected to the United States in 1961 (born in 1938))

Anna Pavlova; Pavlova (Russian ballerina (1882-1931))

Ginger Rogers; Rogers; Virginia Katherine McMath; Virginia McMath (United States dancer and film actress who partnered with Fred Astaire (1911-1995))

Salome (woman whose dancing beguiled Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist)

Shawn; Ted Shawn (United States dancer and choreographer who collaborated with Ruth Saint Denis (1891-1972))

Moira Shearer; Shearer (Scottish ballet dancer and actress (born in 1926))

Ruth Saint Denis; Ruth St. Denis; Saint Denis; St. Denis (United States dancer and choreographer who collaborated with Ted Shawn (1877-1968))

Maria Tallchief; Tallchief (United States ballerina who promoted American ballet through tours and television appearances (born in 1925))

Tharp; Twyla Tharp (innovative United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1941))

Antony Tudor; Tudor (United States dancer and choreographer (born in England) (1909-1987))

Galina Sergeevna Ulanova; Galina Ulanova; Ulanova (Russian ballet dancer (1910-1998))

Gaetan Vestris; Vestris (Italian dancing-master for Louis XVI who was considered the greatest dancer of his day; he was the first to discard the mask in mime (1729-1808))

Arthur Mitchell; Mitchell (United States dancer who formed the first Black classical ballet company (born in 1934))

Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin; Leonide Fedorovitch Massine; Massine (French choreographer and ballet dancer (born in Russia) (1895-1979))

Dame Alicia Markova; Lilian Alicia Marks; Markova (English ballet dancer (born in 1910))

Eugene Curran Kelly; Gene Kelly; Kelly (United States dancer who performed in many musical films (1912-1996))

Karsavina; Tamara Karsavina (Russian dancer who danced with Nijinsky (1885-1978))

Jamison; Judith Jamison (United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1944))

Graham; Martha Graham (United States dancer and choreographer whose work was noted for its austerity and technical rigor (1893-1991))

Dame Margot Fonteyn; Fonteyn (English dancer who danced with Rudolf Nureyev (born in 1919))

Duncan; Isadora Duncan (United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927))

Agnes de Mille; Agnes George de Mille; de Mille (United States dancer and choreographer who introduced formal dance to a wide audience (1905-1993))

Cunningham; Merce Cunningham (United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922))

Baryshnikov; Mikhail Baryshnikov (Russian dancer and choreographer who migrated to the United States (born in 1948))

Balanchine; George Balanchine (United States dancer and choreographer (born in Russia) noted for his abstract and formal works (1904-1983))

Astaire; Fred Astaire (United States dancer and cinema actor noted for his original and graceful tap dancing (1899-1987))

Alicia Alonso; Alonso (Cuban dancer and choreographer (born in 1921))

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to dancing

Example:

her terpsichorean activities

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

terpsichore (taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music)

Derivation:

terpsichore (taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music)

Credits