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
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Guests also caught sight of two dancers who really know how to leap, jump and jeté: Skylar Brandt, a principal ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre, made a special appearance at the Bunny Hop with Clara Riggs, an up-and-comer in the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis school. — Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 10 Mar. 2025 Emilia Pérez’s Zoe Saldaña—who won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Supporting Role—arrived in a ballerina bun with a pale pink lip and smoked out eye. — India Espy-Jones, Essence, 24 Feb. 2025 According to her social media profiles, Nelson is a graduate of University of Maryland, a former ballerina and describes herself as an entrepreneur and a farmer. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025 Chappell Roan did not deviate from her camp-meets-vintage aesthetic, wearing a voluminous vintage Jean Paul Gaultier gown from 2003, embellished with a screen print of Degas ballerinas on the skirt and topped by the ostrich-feather headdress that Gaultier used on that original runway. — Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ballerina

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

Phrases Containing ballerina

Rhymes for ballerina

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ballerina
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Cite this Entry

“Ballerina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballerina. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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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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