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ballerina

UK/ˌbæləɹˈiːnə/US/ˌbæləɹˈiːnə/
nounB1Common in everyday speech and writing · #5,501 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: ballerinas

A ballerina is a leading female classical dancer. A prima ballerina, train as a ballerina, the ballerina took her bow.

Strictly it is a rank rather than a job description: in the old companies a ballerina was a principal, and prima ballerina the first among them. Pointe work, dancing on the tips of the toes, is what most people picture and it takes years to build up to.

Unknown photographer of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. · Public domain

Definitions of ballerina

  1. 1nounballerinaA leading female classical dancer.B1

    “The ballerina rose onto her toes and spun gracefully across the stage.”

ballerina is a dancer.

Where it comes from

  1. Italian

    ballerina

  2. English, today

    ballerina

Borrowed from Italian ballerina.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Dance

Practise this word

ballerina in the wild

  • Anna Pavlovna Pavlova was a Russian prima ballerina.

    Anna Pavlova

  • The ballerina skirt is typically made up of five to twelve layers of tulle fabric.

    Ballerina skirt

  • There are several different types of the ballerina skirts that are used when performing.

    Ballerina skirt

  • Prima ballerina assoluta is a title awarded to the most notable of female ballet dancers.

    Prima ballerina assoluta

  • To be recognised as a prima ballerina assoluta is a rare honour, traditionally reserved for the most exceptional dancers of their generation.

    Prima ballerina assoluta

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.