n. A position in ballet in which the dancer faces one of the front corners of the stage or room and one leg is further forward than the other. [French, apart, spread, past participle of écarter, to separate, spread, from Old French escarter, to go apart, distance (oneself), from Vulgar Latin *exquārtāre, to divide in four : Latin ex-, ex- + Latin quārtus, quarter, fourth; see kwetwer- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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