entrechat

en·tre·chat

Ballet a leap straight upward during which the dancer crosses the legs and beats the calves together a number of times

Origin of entrechat

French earlier entrechasse, altered (as if from entre, between, among + chasser from Old French chacier, chase) from Italian (capriola) intrecciata, literally , intertwined (leap) from intrecciare from in-, in + treccia, a plait: see tress

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entrechat

noun

A jump in ballet during which the dancer crosses the legs a number of times, alternately back and forth.

Origin of entrechat

French from earlier entrechas alteration ( influenced by entre between ) ( and chasse chase ) of Italian (capriola) intrecciata intricate (caper) feminine past participle of intrecciare to intertwine in- in ( from Latin; see in- ². ) treccia tress ; see tress .

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.