Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cotillion

/koʊtɪlˈjɑ̃/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.10 in modern English

Syllables
cotil-lion
IPA
/koʊtɪlˈjɑ̃/
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A bold dance performed in groups of eight where women lift their skirts to display their ankles.

noun

The music regulating the cotillion.

noun

Ellipsis of cotillion ball.

American usage

verb

To dance the cotillion.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

First use appears c. 1750, in the sense of the dance, from French cotillon (“petticoat”), extended to the dance because of the distinctive lift of dress revealing the petticoat, from cotte (“dress”) + -illon (diminutive). Said to derive from the then-popular song Ma commère, quand je danse, mon cotillion va-t-il bien.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /koʊtɪlˈjɑ̃/
  • British English: /kəʊtɪlˈjɒ̃/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce cotillion?
The recorded pronunciation is /koʊtɪlˈjɑ̃/.
What does cotillion mean?
A bold dance performed in groups of eight where women lift their skirts to display their ankles.
Where does cotillion come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce cotillion

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cotillion”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/koʊtɪlˈjɑ̃/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cotillion”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “cotillion” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.