ballerina

noun

bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌba-lə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce ballerina (audio)
: a woman who is a ballet dancer : danseuse

Examples of ballerina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Golfer arrested:Scottie Scheffler handcuffed by police before start of Round 2 of the PGA Championship Who was Ella Adler? Ella, a ballerina, lived in Miami Beach, officials said, and attended Ransom Everglades High School in Miami. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 17 May 2024 The Florida owner of a boat matching the description of one that struck and killed a 15-year-old Florida ballerina on Saturday has been identified in an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 16 May 2024 Ballerina Found, Authorities Say Ella, a ballerina and student at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove, Fla., was the granddaughter of U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Michael M. Adler, CBS reports. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 15 May 2024 The freshman was cast as a ballerina in The Nutcracker, appearing in more than 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 13 May 2024 The mom-to-be swept her hair back into a high ballerina bun with a middle part and completed the look with scarlet red heels and a matching clutch. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024 When Gayle McKinney-Griffith was an aspiring ballerina auditioning for Juilliard in the late 1960s, her excitement was tempered by a daunting realization. Alex Williams, New York Times, 6 May 2024 Finally, for coffin and ballerina nails, the white tips should follow the shape’s squared-off edge similar to square nails. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 3 May 2024 See, for example, the red patent leather anklet ballerinas from Feversole, also with a rounded toe and available on Amazon in over 20 colors. Lucrezia Malavolta, Glamour, 1 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ballerina.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "woman who dances professionally or for pleasure," feminine counterpart of ballarino, ballerino "professional dancer, person who loves to dance," from ballare "to dance" (going back to Late Latin ballāre) + -ar-, -er-, extension in nominal derivation + -ino, suffix of occupations (as in postino "mailman," scalpellino "stonemason"), going back to Latin -īnus -ine entry 1 — more at ball entry 3

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ballerina was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near ballerina

Cite this Entry

“Ballerina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballerina. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

ballerina

noun
bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌbal-ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce ballerina (audio)
: a female ballet dancer

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