glissade
UK[ɡlɪˈsɑːd]US[ɡlɪˈsɑːd]
n
a movement, typically used as a step in ballet, in which the dancer slides one foot out to the side, front, or back, then brings the other foot to meet it.
n
a controlled slide down a steep slope of snow or ice, typically on the feet with the support of an ice axe.
v
to perform a glissade.
Etymology
the word 'glissade' entered english in the 19th century, borrowed directly from the french verb 'glisser', meaning 'to slide'. the french term itself evolved from the vulgar latin 'glissare', a frequentative form related to sliding or slipping. this latin root is thought to be of frankish or other germanic origin, possibly linked to words like the middle dutch 'glīden' (to glide) and the old high german 'glītan', which share a common proto-germanic ancestor 'glīdaną'. the semantic core of 'sliding' has remained remarkably consistent from its germanic roots, through its gallo-romance development into french, and into its specialized adoption in english for ballet and mountaineering.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from french and is not productively formed from separable english morphemes. it is treated as a simplex form in english.
Examples
the dancer executed a perfect glissade across the stage.
to descend the couloir safely, they performed a series of glissades, using their ice axes for control.
her transition from the pirouette into the glissade was seamless.