The AI-powered English dictionary
plural quadrilles
A dance originating in the mid-1700s with four couples forming a square, rather much like the modern square dance. quotations examples
The movements of the other women were more or less similar to Tess's, the whole bevy of them drawing together like dancers in a quadrille at the completion of a sheaf by each, every one placing her sheaf on end against those of the rest, till a shock, or 'stitch' as it was here called, of ten or a dozen was formed.
1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, part 2
The music for this dance. quotations examples
There was ol' Mickey Coote / Who played hard on his flute / When the ladies lined up for a set / He was tootin' with skill / For each sparkling quadrille / Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
c. 19th century, J. M. Crofts (attributed), "The Irish Rover"
(card games) A Spanish trick-taking card game from the 1700s played with a 40-card deck. quotations examples
It now first struck her that she was selected from among her sisters as worthy of being the mistress of Hunsford Parsonage, and of assisting to form a quadrille table at Rosings, in the absence of more eligible visitors.
1812, Jane Austen, chapter 17, in Pride and Prejudice
A choreographed dressage ride, commonly performed to music, with a minimum of four horses. examples
third-person singular simple present quadrilles, present participle quadrilling, simple past and past participle quadrilled
(intransitive) To dance the quadrille. quotations examples
We quadrilled, waltzed, and conversed, in all of which my clever partner excelled; and her charms, combined with the excellent champagne I imbibed, fairly dazzled my imagination.
1834, Arthur Courtenay, Autobiography and Letters of Arthur Courtenay, page 36
Quadrille ruled graph paper, quad paper. examples
A square tiling of the plane. examples