Chopin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Polish composer and pianist of the 19th century known for his romantic piano compositions including nocturnes, études, and polonaises
2. The celebrated 1810–1849 Polish musician famous for writing emotionally expressive works for solo piano that defined the Romantic era
3. A 19th-century composer from Poland renowned for creating intimate and technically demanding piano pieces that remain central to classical repertoire

Etymology: Chopin, the spelling used in English for a high-soled shoe or clog, is a variant of "chopine," which English borrowed from French. The French word was itself a diminutive of "chope," a word for a sort of tankard or drinking vessel, with the suffix "-in" added to it. The link between a drinking mug and a shoe is not obvious, but it reflects a shared sense of something hollow or cup-shaped, which is what the French term first described. The footwear was known in the Renaissance for its extreme height. Chopines were worn by women in Venice and elsewhere in Europe, and their platforms could raise the wearer well above the ground, so that walking required assistance from attendants. The shoe's name then passed into English in this variant form, where it kept its association with the tall, unsteady soles of the period.