pirouette

/ˈpɪrəˌwɛt/

Other forms: pirouetting; pirouetted; pirouettes

A dancer's spin, especially when he's balanced on one foot, is a pirouette.

A pirouette is a ballet term meaning to whirl or spin while balanced on the toes. In the case of a ballerina, she would pirouette while "en pointe," poised on the very toe of her shoe with the other leg bent. You can also use the word to describe a more casual spin, like an exuberant little boy who pirouettes through the halls of his school. In Old French, the root word pirouet meant "spinning top."

Definitions of pirouette

1. noun

   (ballet) a rapid spin of the body (especially on the toes as in ballet)
   type of:

   spin, twirl, twist, twisting, whirl

   the act of rotating rapidly
2. verb

   do a pirouette, usually as part of a dance
   type of:

   pivot, swivel

   turn on a pivot