n. 1. A ballet position executed while standing on one straight leg with one arm extended forward and the other arm and leg extended backward. 2. A complex, ornate design of intertwined floral, foliate, and geometric figures. 3. Music An ornate, whimsical composition especially for piano. 4. An intricate or elaborate pattern or design: "the complex arabesque of a camera movement" (Nigel Andrews). adj. In the fashion of or formed as an arabesque. [French, from Italian arabesco, in Arabian fashion, from Arabo, an Arab, from Latin Arabus, from Arabs; see ARAB.] ![]() (click for a larger image) arabesque |
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