passepied

[ pahs-pyey ]
/ pɑsˈpyeɪ /

noun, plural passe·pieds [pahs-pyey, -pyeyz] /pɑsˈpyeɪ, -ˈpyeɪz/.

a lively dance in triple meter popular in France in the 17th and 18th centuries.
a dance form in moderately fast 3/8 or 3/4 meter, occasionally constituting part of the 17th- and 18th-century instrumental suite.

Origin of passepied

1685–95; < French: literally, pass (the) foot, i.e., move it, dance. See pass, -ped

Example sentences from the Web for passepied

  • Passepied (B flat major) "pour Madame Redwen," short and simple, but very neat and graceful, and quite in dance form.

British Dictionary definitions for passepied

passepied
/ (pɑːsˈpjeɪ) /

noun plural -pieds (-ˈpjeɪ)

a lively minuet of Breton origin, in triple time, popular in the 17th century
a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

Word Origin for passepied

C17: from French: pass the foot