n.
Pronunciation: p ə - ' vän, - ' van
Variant: also pa · van \ same or ' pa-v ə n \
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French pavane, from Italian dialect pavana, from feminine of pavano of Padua, from Pava (Tuscan Padova ) Padua
Date: 1535
1 : a stately court dance by couples that was introduced from southern Europe into England in the 16th century
2 : music for the pavane also : music having the slow duple rhythm of a pavane