bal·let [balletballets] BrE [ˈbæleɪ] NAmE [ˈbæleɪ] noun 1. uncountable a style of dancing that tells a dramatic story with music but no talking or singing •She wants to be a ballet dancer. •ballet shoes 2. countable a story or work of art performed by a group of ballet dancers •‘Swan Lake’ is one of the great classical ballets. 3. countable singular or plural verb a group of dancers who work and perform ballet together •members of the Royal Ballet
Word Origin: mid 17th cent.: from French, from Italian balletto, diminutive of ballo ‘dance’, from late Latin ballare ‘to dance’; related to Greek ballizein ‘to dance’.