trapeze

American  

[tra-peez, truh-] / træˈpiz, trə- /

noun

1. an apparatus, used in gymnastics and acrobatics, consisting of a short horizontal bar attached to the ends of two suspended ropes.

2. (on a small sailboat) a device by which a crew member can be suspended almost completely outboard while hiking.

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trapeze British  

/ trəˈpiːz /

noun

1. a free-swinging bar attached to two ropes, used by circus acrobats, etc

2. a sling like a bosun's chair at one end of a line attached to the masthead of a light racing sailing boat, used in sitting out

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Etymology

Origin of trapeze

1860–65; < French, special use of trapèze trapezium

Example Sentences

The agents booked them a trapeze class for early April.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

"I did flying trapeze, acrobatics, and I absolutely loved the performance element of it all," she said.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

Navigating this period as a journalist and sole parent feels like being a trapeze artist without a net—each day teetering on the edge of madness.

From Salon • Jul. 17, 2024

You can also feel strong chemistry with someone after an exhilarating date, such as riding a roller coaster, watching a scary movie or taking a trapeze class, Chan says.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2023

There were stories of the Apache Wars in the Wild West, a new circus act called a flying trapeze, and Abraham Lincoln arguing that Kansas should be a free state and not slave.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan