cotillion

[ kuh-til-yuhn, koh- ]

noun

1. a formal ball given especially for debutantes.
2. a lively French social dance originating in the 18th century, consisting of a variety of steps and figures and performed by couples.
3. any of various dances resembling the quadrille.
4. music arranged or played for these dances.
5. a formalized dance for a large number of people, in which a head couple leads the other dancers through elaborate and stately figures.

cotillion

/ kəˈtɪljən; kəʊ- /

noun

1. a French formation dance of the 18th century
2. a quadrille
3. a complicated dance with frequent changes of partners
4. a formal ball, esp one at which debutantes are presented

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotillion¹

1760–70; < French cotillon kind of dance, in Old French: petticoat, equivalent to cote coat + -illon diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of cotillion¹

C18: from French cotillon dance, from Old French: petticoat, from cote coat

Example Sentences

Ron Dong recalled how he and the other nonwhite students would get together the night white youths gathered for cotillion because they never received invites.

From Los Angeles Times

Pink was the color of the gown she was wearing when she died in a buggy crash coming home from a cotillion.

From Los Angeles Times

The enterprising president of the Harriet Holland Social Club just wants the cotillion to be successful.

From New York Times

They gathered in Black fraternities and sororities, at cotillions, bridge parties.

From Scientific American

Meanwhile, local newspapers report Ruth’s courthouse outfits in detail, and cover cotillions and debutante balls just as assiduously as the trial.

From Washington Post