polonaise

polonaise
/pol'euh nayz", poh'leuh-/, n.
1. a slow dance of Polish origin, in triple meter, consisting chiefly of a march or promenade in couples.
2. a piece of music for, or in the rhythm of, such a dance.
3. Also, polonese /pol'euh neez", -nees", poh'leuh-/. a coatlike outer dress, combining bodice and cutaway overskirt, worn in the late 18th century over a separate skirt.
[1765-75; < F, fem. of polonais Polish, equiv. to Polon- ( < ML Polonia Poland) + -ais -ESE]

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Dignified ceremonial dance in 34 time, frequently employing dotted rhythms, that often opened court balls in the 17th–19th century.

It likely began as a warrior's triumphal dance and had been adopted by the Polish court as a formal march as early as 1573. The dancers promenaded with gliding steps accented by bending the knee slightly on every third step. It often appeared in ballets, and it was used as a musical form by composers such as George Frideric Handel, Ludwig van Beethoven, and especially Frédéric Chopin, whose piano polonaises were martial and heroic.

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dance
Polish  polonez 

      in dance, dignified ceremonial dance that from the 17th to 19th century often opened court balls and other royal functions. Likely once a warrior's triumphal dance, it was adopted by the Polish nobility as a formal march as early as 1573 for the coronation of Henry of Anjou as king of Poland. In its aristocratic form the dancers, in couples according to their social positions, promenaded around the ballroom with gliding steps accented by bending the knees slightly on every third step. Polonaise music is in 3/4 time. The dance was used as a musical form by such prominent composers as Beethoven, Handel, Mussorgsky, and Chopin.

dress
also spelled  Polonese,  

      in clothing, a coatlike dress, originally worn by Polish women, that was extremely popular in the 1770s and 1780s in western Europe and North America. It consisted of a fitted bodice with a full skirt, draped in front from the waist and caught up on either side at the back, so that it fell in three large loops.

      The underskirt, or petticoat, which showed prominently, was elaborately decorated, quilted, or embroidered. In the 19th century the polonaise gave its name to a short overcoat, usually fur-trimmed, worn by men and, somewhat later, by women.

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  • polonaise — [ pɔlɔnɛz ] n. f. • 1774; de polonais 1 ♦ Danse nationale des Polonais. Musique sur laquelle on exécute cette danse. Les polonaises de Chopin. « En Russie, les bals de la cour s ouvrent par ce qu on appelle une polonaise » (Gautier). 2 ♦ Gâteau… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Polonaise — Po lo*naise , a. [F. polonais, polonaise, Polish.] Of or pertaining to the Poles, or to Poland. [Written also {Polonese}.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • polonaise — (n.) 1773, woman s overdress (from fancied resemblance to Polish costume); 1797, stately dance, from Fr. (danse) polonaise a Polish (dance), fem. of polonais (adj.) Polish, from Pologne Poland, from M.L. Polonia Poland. In the culinary sense,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Polonaise — Polonaise: Der seit dem 18. Jh. bezeugte Name eines Tanzes in mäßig bewegtem, feierlichem 3/4 Takt ist aus frz. polonaise (ergänze: danse) entlehnt und bedeutet »polnischer (Tanz)«. Der Tanz wurde zu Ehren der damals unterdrückten Polen benannt… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • Polonaise — Po lo*naise , n. [Written also Polonese and Polonoise.] 1. The Polish language. [1913 Webster] 2. An article of dress for women, consisting of a body and an outer skirt in one piece. [1913 Webster] 3. (Mus.) A stately Polish dance tune, in 3 4… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Polonaise — (franz., spr. Polonähs, ital. Polacca), Nationaltanz der Polen, jetzt in ganz Europa verbreitet. Die Musik besteht aus zwei Theilen im 3/4 Tact, jeder von 8–12 Tacten, welche im vollen Tact od. auf dem Niederschlag anfängt, u. wovon der letzte in …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Polonaise — Polonaise, dieser polnische Nationaltanz, bei dessen Ausführung die Polen so viel Grazie und ritterliche Galanterie zu entfalten verstehen, wird bei uns nur schlecht nachgeahmt. Die Melodie, welche sich stets im ¾ Takt bewegt, trägt ganz den… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • Polonaise — (–ähs), frz. dtsch., poln. Nationaltanz, mit einigen Abänderungen über ganz Europa verbreitet, mit langsamer Bewegung; darnach benanntes Tonstück im 3/4 Tact, gewöhnlich aus 2 Theilen und 1 Trio bestehend …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • polonaise — {{hw}}{{polonaise}}{{/hw}}(mus.) Polacca …   Enciclopedia di italiano

  • polonaise — /pɔlɔ nɛz/ s.f., fr. [femm. di polonais polacco ], in ital. invar. (mus.) [danza e composizione musicale originarie della Polonia] ▶◀ [➨ polonese] …   Enciclopedia Italiana

  • polonaise — /fr. pɔlɔˈnɛz/ [vc. fr., da polonais «polacco»] s. f. inv. (mus.) polacca …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

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