arabesque

English

An arabesque (ballet).

Etymology

French arabesque, from Italian arabesco, from arabo (“Arab”).

Noun

Arabesque on Wikipedia.Wikipediaarabesque (plural arabesques)

1. An elaborate design of intertwined floral figures or complex geometrical patterns. This ornamental design is mainly used in Islamic Art and architecture.
   • 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 5, The Younger Set^[1]:

     The house of Ruthven was a small but ultra-modern limestone affair, between Madison and Fifth ; … As a matter of fact its narrow ornate façade presented not a single quiet space that the eyes might rest on after a tiring attempt to follow and codify the arabesques, foliations, and intricate vermiculations of what some disrespectfully dubbed as “ near-aissance.”

2. (music) An ornate composition, especially for the piano.
3. (ballet) A dance position in which the dancer stands on one leg, with the other raised backwards, and the arms outstretched.

Translations

ornamental design used in Islamic Art

• Bulgarian: арабеска (bg) (arabeska)
• Esperanto: arabesko (eo)
• Finnish: arabeski (fi)
• French: arabesque (fr)
• German: Arabeske (de) f
• Hungarian: arabeszk (hu)

• Italian: arabesco (it) m
• Persian: اسلیمی (fa) (eslimi)
• Russian: арабеска (ru) (arabéska) f, арабеск (ru) (arabésk) m
• Spanish: arabesco (es) m
• Turkish: arabesk (tr)

(music) ornate composition

• Bulgarian: арабеск (bg) (arabesk)
• German: Arabeske (de) f

• Hungarian: arabeszk (hu)
• Russian: арабеска (ru) (arabéska) f, арабеск (ru) (arabésk) m

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French

Etymology

Italian arabesco

Noun

arabesque f (plural arabesques)

1. arabesque

Adjective

arabesque (masculine and feminine, plural arabesques)

1. (obsolete) Arabic (relating to Arabic peoples)