Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to dancing.
  • noun A dancer.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • [cap. or lowercase] Relating to the Muse Terpsichore, or to dancing and lyrical poetry, which were sacred to this Muse: as, the terpsichorean art (that is, dancing).
  • noun [lowercase] A dancer.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to Terpsichore; of or pertaining to dancing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective dance Of or relating to dancing.
  • noun A person who dances, especially professionally.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a performer who dances professionally
  • adjective of or relating to dancing

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Terpsichore.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Terpsichore, the Muse of dance in Greek mythology.

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Examples

Comments

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  • of, pertaining to, or of the nature of dancing, from "Terpsichore," the Muse of dance.

    February 14, 2007

  • Terpsichore. It just *sounds* like dancing, doesn't it?

    February 14, 2007

  • Actually, I think it sounds like a disease, and should go on your "Not as Awful as They Sound" list.

    February 15, 2007

  • ...but this word always makes me hungry for some cheesy comestibles...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDat9zdw7Gs

    September 6, 2007

  • One of the nine muses

    July 18, 2008

  • I am with chained-bear. I have never liked the sound of this word. It lacks coloratura.

    August 23, 2008

  • “Much of the power of ‘Billy Elliot’ as an honest tear-jerker lies in its ability to give equal weight to the sweet dreams of terpsichorean flight and the sourness of a dream-denying reality, with the two elements locked in a vital and unending dialogue.�?

    The New York Times, In Hard Times, Born to Pirouette, by Ben Brantley, November 14, 2008

    November 14, 2008

  • I agree with said Brantley dude about 'Billy Elliot.' Neat story.

    November 14, 2008

  • I third that sentiment.

    November 14, 2008

  • I named one of my baroque flutes Terpsichore. The other was called Euterpe. My modern flute was called Claude, before I discovered that "Claudius" meant lame (thanks a heap, Robert Graves).

    November 14, 2008

  • *loves that frindley names her musical instruments*

    November 14, 2008

  • Yes, frindley, and this is where claudicant comes from.

    November 15, 2008

  • Each of the children has picked up an empty and, quite nonchalantly,

    hurls it down onto the grans, young mums and spinsters and babes.

    No one evinces surprise or alarm or even vexation,

    fox-trotting through the smashed bits, Terpsichorean and deft.

    - Peter Reading, Ukulele Music, 1985

    May 30, 2009

  • This word was chosen as Wordnik word of the day.

    November 11, 2009

  • Is a stick made of hickory “hickorian?”

    Is coffee with chicory “chickorian?”

    By what rhythmic trickery

    Did that hussy Terpsichore

    Swell to the grand “Terpsichorean?”

    May 11, 2014