ballerina

[ bal-uh-ree-nuh ]
/ ˌbæl əˈri nə /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ballerina ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a principal female dancer in a ballet company. Compare prima ballerina.
any female ballet dancer.
a woman's very low-heeled or heelless shoe or slipper, made to resemble a ballet slipper.
Compare ballet slipper.

Origin of ballerina

1785–95; < Italian, feminine of ballerino professional dancer, probably equivalent to baller(ia) dance ( ball(are) to dance (< Late Latin; see ball2) + -eria < Old French; see -ery) + -ino -ine1

Words nearby ballerina

ballast pocket, ballast resistor, ballata, ballbreaker, balled-and-burlapped, ballerina, ballesteros, ballet, ballet blanc, ballet flat, ballet master

Words related to ballerina

coryphee

Example sentences from the Web for ballerina

British Dictionary definitions for ballerina

ballerina
/ (ˌbæləˈriːnə) /

noun

a female ballet dancer
US the principal female dancer of a ballet company

Word Origin for ballerina

C18: from Italian, feminine of ballerino dancing master, from ballare to dance, from Late Latin ballāre : see ball ²

Cultural definitions for ballerina

ballerina

In ballet, a female dancer. (See prima ballerina.)