cotillion

noun

co·​til·​lion kō-ˈtil-yən 

kə-

variants or less commonly cotillon

kō-ˈtil-yən 

kə-,

kȯ-tē-(y)ōⁿ

1

: a ballroom dance for couples that resembles the quadrille

2

: an elaborate dance with frequent changing of partners carried out under the leadership of one couple at formal balls

3

: a formal ball

Synonyms

• ball
• dance
• formal
• hop
• prom

Examples of cotillion in a Sentence

young men hoping to meet the women of their dreams at the cotillion

Recent Examples on the Web

Iger, who is set to exit Disney at the end of 2026, has a cotillion with Dana Walden, Alan Bergman and Josh D’Amaro, as well as CFO Hugh Johnston. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 10 July 2024

The young women of the 2022 Stark County Debutante Cotillion were the first group in decades to take part in the rite of passage ceremony after Black women in Canton began holding cotillions in the 1970s. —Isabel Yip, NBC News, 21 June 2024

The children of the Black bourgeoise have likely done etiquette training like cotillion. —Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

For many who grow up in the South, cotillion classes are a rite of passage. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French cotillon, literally, petticoat, from Old French, from cote coat

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cotillion

noun

co·​til·​lion kō-ˈtil-yən 

kə-

1

: a complicated formal dance with frequent changing of partners

2

: a formal ball