arabesque
Definitions
An intricate ornamental design of interlaced flowing lines, flowers and geometric shapes in the Arab style
阿拉伯式花饰，蔓藤花纹（交错流动的装饰图案）
A ballet position in which the dancer stands on one leg with the other extended straight behind
（芭蕾）阿拉贝斯克，单腿直立、另一腿后伸的姿势
Decorated with or resembling such ornamental designs
饰有蔓藤花纹的；阿拉伯花饰风格的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedArab + -esque ('in the style of', as in picturesque) = 'in the Arab style.' It first named the flowing, interlaced ornament of Islamic art, then was borrowed into ballet for a pose that draws the body into one long ornamental line.
Why It Means This
How does one word mean both a wall pattern and a dance pose? The thread is 'ornamental line.' Islamic artists, avoiding images of living beings, perfected endless curving floral and geometric ornament — the arabesque. Centuries later, ballet borrowed the word for a pose in which the dancer's extended leg and reaching arms trace exactly that kind of long, graceful, decorative curve. The body becomes a living arabesque.
Usage Guide
Pronounced /ˌær.əˈbesk/, stress on the last syllable. Context disambiguates: in art/design it's a pattern; in dance it's a ballet pose ('hold an arabesque'). The art sense is uncountable-ish in general talk; the ballet sense is countable.
Example Sentences
- 1.
The mosque's walls are covered in delicate arabesques.
- 2.
The ballerina held a perfect arabesque for several seconds.
- 3.
He carved an arabesque pattern into the wooden door.