noun
trapeze
truh-PEEZ/træˈpiːz/
A horizontal bar suspended by ropes for acrobatic performance.
The acrobat grips the trapeze and swings above the net.
Etymology
The “four” and “foot” elements formed a table word, whose diminutive named a quadrilateral. The acrobat’s apparatus was probably named for the figure outlined by its bar, ropes, and ceiling.
In context
jump from the precariously unstable pole and grab a trapeze 50 foot off the ground
More examples
- She hangs upside down from the trapeze.
- Workers check the ropes on both trapezes before the show.
- He takes trapeze lessons at a circus school.
Forms
trapeze · trapezes