noun
cotillion
koh-TIL-yun/koʊˈtɪljən/
A formal social dance with group figures.
The couples change partners as they dance the cotillion.
Etymology
The “little skirt” or petticoat became the name of a dance, perhaps because its turns displayed petticoats; the connection is uncertain. The dance name later came to mean a formal ball.
In context
So we had a big, major Cotillion in August,
THESE YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN ARE PREPARING FOR A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN DEBUTANTE COTILLION.
More examples
- The instructor guides us through the figures of the cotillion.
- The evening's program includes two cotillions.
- She wears a long gown to her first cotillion.
Forms
cotillion · cotillions
Similar words
- quadrille
- Specifically a dance for four couples arranged in a square.
- square dance
- Usually less formal, with figures directed by a caller.