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gavotte

or ga·vot

[ guh-vot ]

noun

  1. an old French dance in moderately quick quadruple meter.
  2. a piece of music for, or in the rhythm of, this dance, often forming one of the movements in the classical suite, usually following the saraband.


gavotte

/ ɡəˈvɒt /

noun

  1. an old formal dance in quadruple time
  2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance


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Word History and Origins

Origin of gavotte1

1690–1700; < French < Provençal gavoto a mountaineer of Provence, a dance of such mountaineers, apparently derivative of gava bird's crop (probably < pre-Latin *gaba throat, crop, goiter), alluding to the prevalence of goiter among the mountaineers

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Word History and Origins

Origin of gavotte1

C17: from French, from Provençal gavoto, from gavot mountaineer, dweller in the Alps (where the dance originated), from gava goitre (widespread in the Alps), from Old Latin gaba (unattested) throat

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Example Sentences

She was seated upon it, when I arrived with the third load, and through the house were dancing the sounds of a Bach gavotte.

The great room slowly cleared; the precise and animating music of a gavotte came sharply across the laughter and talk.

As an illustration of this fact, there is a little Gavotte of mine, which I had occasion to play several times in Paris.

When Eagle had watched them awhile she started up, spread her skirts in a sweeping courtesy, and began to dance a gavotte.

He taught her the gavotte, the pavane, and many other dances, playing the measures on an old violin the while.

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Gävlegaw