Saut

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A ballet movement in which the dancer executes a jump or leap, emphasizing precise form and controlled landing
2. A type of ballet jump performed with technique and artistry, where the dancer leaves the ground and lands softly
3. A leap executed by a ballet dancer, characterized by leaving the floor and landing with poise

Etymology: "Saut" is the French word for a jump or leap, and English dancers adopted it unchanged to name a ballet movement in which the dancer springs off one or both feet. Ballet's technical vocabulary was built largely in French, so many step names arrived untranslated. The French word descends from Old French "saut," which comes from Latin "saltus," meaning a leap or bound, from the verb "salire," to jump. That root also gave English "salient," describing something that projects or stands out, and "assault," which came through Old French from a Latin word for leaping upon an enemy. "Somersault" shares the root too: its ancestors combined a word meaning "over" with "saltus," so the word literally describes a leap over.

Synonyms: jump, leap, spring