arabesque Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun position in which the dancer has one leg raised behind and arms outstretched in a conventional pose
  2. noun an ornament that interlaces simulated foliage in an intricate design

WordNet

Ar`a*besque" noun
Etymology
F. arabesque, fr. It. arabesco, fr. Arabo Arab.
Definitions
  1. A style of ornamentation either painted, inlaid, or carved in low relief. It consists of a pattern in which plants, fruits, foliage, etc., as well as figures of men and animals, real or imaginary, are fantastically interlaced or put together. ✍ It was employed in Roman imperial ornamentation, and appeared, without the animal figures, in Moorish and Arabic decorative art. (See Moresque.) The arabesques of the Renaissance were founded on Greco-Roman work.
Ar`a*besque" adjective
Definitions
  1. Arabian. Obs.
  2. Relating to, or exhibiting, the style of ornament called arabesque; as, arabesque frescoes.

Webster 1913