/ ˌærəˈbesk; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] ( in ballet ) a position in which the dancer balances on one leg with the other leg lifted and stretched out behind parallel to the ground
2.
[ C , U ] ( in art ) a type of design where lines wind around each other
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from French , from Italian arabesco in the Arabic style, from arabo Arab.