arabesque

1 of 2

noun

ar·​a·​besque ˌa-rə-ˈbesk How to pronounce arabesque (audio)
ˌer-ə
1
: an ornament or style that employs flower, foliage, or fruit and sometimes animal and figural outlines to produce an intricate pattern of interlaced lines
2
: a posture (as in ballet) in which the body is bent forward from the hip on one leg with one arm extended forward and the other arm and leg backward
3
: an elaborate or intricate pattern
… richly pierced by an arabesque of wormholes.John Chase
an arabesque of vines and leaves

Illustration of arabesque

Illustration of arabesque
  • arabesque 1

arabesque

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being in the style of arabesque or an arabesque
arabesque frescoes

Examples of arabesque in a Sentence

Noun The students practiced their arabesques. She held her arms in arabesque.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Its status as a cultural touchstone was solidified in 2004, when New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired a Circle Bag for its collection, this one with a metallic pewter finish and embossed with floral arabesques. Alexander Lobrano Roxanne Fequiere Laura Bannister Jameson Montgomery Caitie Kelly Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Two other colleagues staged an impromptu dance-off, trading pirouettes and arabesques. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023 Its incredibly intricate engraving takes its design cues from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Dubai, the largest in the U.A.E., by recreating the arabesque and floral patterns of its 82 domes and minarets via line engraving and bas reliefs techniques done by hand. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 27 Nov. 2023 The joke is not just his costume (long tutu and pointe shoes) but the angle of his shoulders and the height of his arabesque. Alice Robb, The New Republic, 16 Oct. 2023 Diamond’s voice echoes in Samba to the Reckoning, each letter of the title rendered in arabesques, swaying this way and that, like a ballerina in time. Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Sep. 2023 Growing up, Bernier used to see Nureyev dancing on the deck, turning arabesques and fouettés against the backdrop of the ocean. Ross Kenneth Urken, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2023 Indeed, the most valuable thing in the collection just might be the aforementioned vintage denim grail, embellished with delicate gold arabesques in Valentino’s embroidery atelier. Alison S. Cohn, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 July 2023 The Coronation Sword Belt, also known as the Girdle, is again made of gold cloth and embroidered in gold thread with arabesques and scrolls. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 May 2023
Adjective
The gold is entirely carved by hand and features detailed ornamental designs of arabesque garlands and elements of the Calatrava cross, all of which take more than 100 hours to engrave. Rebecca Suhrawardi, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 Not least in its dramatic centerpiece: a 20-meter pool featuring eight columns of arabesque marble, with sparkling niches of black-and-gold housing both relaxation areas and 19th-century replicas of classical statues. Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023 With its arabesque archways and cantera verde-limewash walls, Texere could be just another beautiful home on the outskirts of Oaxaca. Catherine Tansey, Vogue, 25 July 2023 Not least within the spa complex’s dramatic centerpiece: a 20-meter pool featuring eight columns of arabesque marble, with sparkling niches of black-and-gold housing both relaxation areas and 19th-century replicas of classical statues. Liam Hess, Vogue, 5 July 2023 The green, black, and coral ornamentation incorporates an arabesque design, which can be seen in Islamic and European art across many centuries. Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 1 Apr. 2020 Fans come dressed in Chanel finery, gleaming guayaberas, or Stetsons color-coordinated with cinto piteados — leather belts stitched with arabesque designs. Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2019 Saidiya Hartman | An excerpt adapted from Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Social Upheaval | W. W. Norton & Co. | 25 minutes (6,922 words) The small naked figure reclines on the arabesque sofa. Longreads, 20 July 2019 Many visitors admire the arabesque architecture (detailed on page 78) but fewer realize the city’s real triumph: the plumbing dates back to the second century and effortlessly carries the waste away. Rebecca Hazelton, New Republic, 18 Jan. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arabesque.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

French, from Italian arabesco Arabian in fashion, from arabo Arab, from Latin Arabus

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arabesque was circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near arabesque

Cite this Entry

“Arabesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arabesque. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

arabesque

noun
ar·​a·​besque
ˌar-ə-ˈbesk
: an ornament or style of decoration that uses outlines of flowers, leaves, branches, or fruit and sometimes animal and human figures to produce a pattern of lines that cross over one another
arabesque adjective
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