Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Nearby Words

passepied

 - 3 dictionary results

passe⋅pied

  [pahs-pyey]
Use passepied in a Sentence
–noun, plural -pieds  [-pyey, -pyeyz] .
1. a lively dance in triple meter popular in France in the 17th and 18th centuries.
2. a dance form in moderately fast 3/8 or 6/8 meter, occasionally constituting part of the 17th- and 18th-century instrumental suite.
Origin:
1685–95; < F: lit., pass (the) foot, i.e., move it, dance. See pass, -ped
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To passepied
passe·pied   (päs-pyā')   
n.  

  1. A spirited dance in triple meter, popular in France and England in the 17th and 18th centuries, resembling a minuet but faster.

  2. Music for or in the rhythm of this dance.


[French : passer, to pass; see pass + pied, foot (from Old French, from Latin pēs, ped-; see pedal).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

passepied

lively dance of Brittany adopted c. 1650 by French and English aristocrats, who, during the century of its popularity, frequently danced it dressed as shepherds and shepherdesses. As a court dance the passepied lost its original chain formations and became, like the minuet, a couple dance with figures. Its name probably refers to its characteristic step: the feet crossed and recrossed while gliding forward, one foot often striking the other

Learn more about passepied with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see passepied on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way