demipointe

English

Alternative forms

• demi-pointe

Etymology

demi- (“half”) +‎ pointe (“tip of the toe”), via Old French demi from Latin dīmidius (“halved”), combined with French pointe (“point, tip”) from Late Latin pūnctum; in this sense short for pointe des pieds (“tippy-toe”, literally “tip of the feet”); cf. French sur la pointe des pieds (“on tiptoe”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: dĕm'ē-pointʹ, də-mē-pwăNtʹ
• IPA^(key): /ˌdɛm.iːˈpɔɪnt/, /də.miːˈpwæ̃t/

Noun

demipointe (countable and uncountable, plural demipointes)

1. (anatomy, ballet) The ball of the foot, the padded front part of the sole behind the tip of the toes; hence, a ballet position executed with the dancer up on the balls of one or both feet, the heels raised up off the floor.

Related terms

• pointe
• en pointe