Meaning & use
cabriole
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a curved furniture leg that swells outward near the top and tapers to a narrow foot, resembling an animal's leg
See it in a sentence
The antique dresser stood on four elegant cabriole legs finished with carved claw feet.
Furniture makers of the Queen Anne period favored the cabriole shape for chairs and tables alike.
A note on using this word
The term comes from the French word for a goat's leap, since the curved shape echoes the bent leg of a leaping animal; it is also the name of a similar leaping step in ballet.
Words with a similar meaning
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Another way to use it
2. noun
a springing jump in ballet in which the legs are beaten together in the air
The dancer finished the phrase with a crisp cabriole before landing softly on one foot.
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