saraband

noun

sar·​a·​band ˈser-ə-ˌband How to pronounce saraband (audio)
ˈsa-rə-ˌband
variants or sarabande
1
: a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th centuries resembling the minuet
2
: the music for the saraband in slow triple time with accent on the second beat

Examples of saraband in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In Bergman Island, Hansen-Love includes a scene from Ingmar Bergman’s 1972 Cries and Whispers — a close-up where Ingrid Thulin howls in torment then is briefly comforted by Liv Ullmann’s caress, a sympathetic duet played out to the palpable strum of a Bach saraband for unaccompanied cello. Armond White, National Review, 13 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saraband.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French sarabande, from Spanish zarabanda

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of saraband was in 1616

Dictionary Entries Near saraband

Cite this Entry

“Saraband.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saraband. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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