glissade

1 of 2

verb

glis·​sade gli-ˈsäd How to pronounce glissade (audio) -ˈsād How to pronounce glissade (audio)
glissaded; glissading

intransitive verb

1
: to perform a ballet glissade
2
: to slide in a standing or squatting position down a snow-covered slope without the aid of skis
glissader noun

glissade

2 of 2

noun

1
: a gliding step in ballet
2
: the action of glissading

Examples of glissade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Friction associated with the sliding and heat rising from Earth’s core together form streams of meltwater just below the sheet, lubricating the ice in some areas and facilitating those areas’ glissade off the rock and into the ocean. — Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 5 May 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French, noun, slide, glissade, from glisser to slide, from Old French glicier, alteration of glier, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German glītan to glide

First Known Use

Verb

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glissade was in 1837

Rhymes for glissade

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Cite this Entry

“Glissade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glissade. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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