trapeze
pronunciation
How to pronounce trapeze in British English:
UK [trəˈpi:z]
How to pronounce trapeze in American English:
US [træˈpiz]
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- Noun:
- a swing used by circus acrobats
Word Origin
- trapeze
- trapeze: [19] Trapeze and quadruped are ultimately the same word: both mean etymologically ‘four feet’. Trapeze comes via French trapèze and late Latin trapezium (source of English trapezium [16]) from Greek trapézion ‘small table’. This was a diminutive form of trápeza ‘table’, literally ‘four-footed’ thing, a compound noun formed from tetra- ‘four’ and peza ‘foot’ (a relative of English foot).The Greek mathematician Euclid used trapézion for a ‘table’-shaped geometrical figure, a quadrilateral. The application to the piece of gymnastic equipment, which evolved in French, alludes to the quadrilateral shape formed by the trapeze’s ropes and crossbar and the roof or other support it hangs from.=> foot, quadruped
- trapeze (n.)
- swing with a cross-bar, used for feats of strength and agility, 1861, from French trapèze, from Late Latin trapezium (see trapezium), probably because the crossbar, the ropes and the ceiling formed a trapezium. The French, to whose powers of invention (so long as you do not insist upon utility) there is no limit, have invented for the world the Trapeze .... ["Chambers's Journal," July 6, 1861]
Example
- 1. This is a lot of trapeze is a big temptation .
- 2. He was watching with much amusement a quarrel between a couple of trapeze artists .
- 3. A beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of the circus performers who is also a dwarf , but his friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance .
- 4. We had a wee trapeze and .
- 5. Fly the trapeze , travel to a new place , learn a new skill , ask someone out , talk to a stranger . Anything !