A female ballet dancer or a woman who performs dances, especially in a theatrical or professional context.
From French 'baladine,' derived from 'balade' (a dance). It entered English during the 18th century when French ballet dominance made French dance terminology standard across Europe.
Baladine specifically means a female dancer in French, while 'baladin' is male—European languages often had separate gendered words for professions, and many of these gendered terms are falling out of use as society changes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.