pirouette

noun

pir·​ou·​ette ˌpir-ə-ˈwet 

: a rapid whirling about of the body

especially : a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet

pirouette intransitive verb

Synonyms

• gyration
• reel
• revolution
• roll
• rotation
• spin
• twirl
• wheel
• whirl

Examples of pirouette in a Sentence

the elegant pirouettes of the prima ballerina

the ballerina's perfectly executed pirouette

Recent Examples on the Web

The Olympic qualifiers can do cartwheels, back flips, and pirouettes. —Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025

The final pirouette comes roughly six weeks after the series first debuted in late April and earned generally positive notices from critics. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 June 2025

Orphaned, Eve finds a home, and training, under the Ruska Roma, alternating pirouettes and pistols. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 June 2025

And just like watching a prima ballerina fly into a high-stakes pirouette and stick the landing, the effect is dazzling. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, teetotum

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pirouette

• des
• eh
• heh
• yeh
• kopje
• tempeh
• yahweh

Kids Definition

pirouette

noun

pir·​ou·​ette ˌpir-ə-ˈwet 

: a rapid whirling of the body

especially : a full turn on the toe or ball of one foot in ballet

pirouette verb