pas de deuxn.
/ˌpɑː də ˈdəː/, /ˌpa də ˈdəː/, U.S. /ˌpɑ də ˈdə/ Dance (esp. Ballet).
A dance for two people. In extended use: a partnership or liaison between two people, countries, etc., esp. one which is difficult to initiate or requires careful handling.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > dancing > types of dance or dancing > dance for specific number of people > [noun]
pas de deux1762
pas de trois1762
pas seul1786
pas de quatre1846
pas de seul1870
twosome1911
ensemble1915
partner dance1915
foursome1926
1762 G.-A. Gallini Treat. Art of Dancing 282 Venus and Adonis form a pas-de-deux, or duet-dance.
1775 H. Walpole Let. 23 Aug. in Corr. (1965) XXXII. 255 I was not so struck with the dancing as I expected, except with a pas de deux by the Marquis de Noailles and Madame Nolstein.
1789 J. Byng Diary 1 June in Torrington Diaries (1938) IV. 112 Let me and Poney move our dance aggreeably: When we are together, it is a Pas de deux, and when I am on foot, it is a Pas seul.
1806 E. Fremantle in Wynne Diaries (1940) III. 265 The grand Ballet..has fine effect... Des Hayes pas de deux with his wife quite beautiful.
1819 T. Hope Anastasius (1820) I. vii. 136 A pas-de-deux which we performed together as a lover and his mistress.
1846 C. Dickens Pictures from Italy 69 The final passion of a pas-de-deux; and the going off with a bound!
1922 H. de V. Beauclerk & N. Evrenov tr. ‘V. Svetlov’ Thamar Karsavina 16 No dancer could find a better partner in pas de deux or adagio.
1955 Times 5 July 14/1 The choreography is designedly adventurous,..particularly in the long central section which is set as a pas de deux.
1973 Times Lit. Suppl. 26 Oct. 1324/1 Between them they perform a ritual examination of conscience, a pas de deux in which they are painfully at cross-purposes.
2001 Science 10 Aug. 1034/2 Researchers have identified several critical steps in the delicate pas de deux between HIV and the cells it infects.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1762