arabesque
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
arabesque /ˌarəˈbɛsk/
▶noun
- 1 Ballet a posture in which one leg is extended horizontally backwards, the torso extended forwards, and the arms outstretched.
- 2 an ornamental design consisting of intertwined flowing lines.
- 3 Music a passage with a highly ornamented melody.
– origin C17: from Fr., from Ital. arabesco ‘in the Arabic style’, from arabo ‘Arab’.
'arabesque' also found in these Oxford entries:
