ballerino

bal·le·ri·no
B3A1L1L1E1R1I1N1O1
/ˌbæləˈɹiːnoʊ/

noun

A male ballet dancer.

Scrabble 11

Meanings

ballerino1

nounballerino (plural ballerinos or ballerini)

plural ballerinos · plural ballerini

  1. A male ballet dancer.

    As aware as you are, though, consider how much more keenly the leaping ballerinas and ballerinos of the world feel the tow with every move they make.

    2007 June 17, David Colman, “The Merman of La Scala”, in New York Times
    2 more examples

    BALLERINOS WANTED / Can use a few trained ballerinos for "Song of Norway" tour. Auditions TODAY at 2 p.m., Masonic Temple, Hollywood. Bring practice clothes and toe shoes.

    1947, Daily Variety, volume 57, page 16

    The evening’s performance began with members of the ballet from Faust re-creating the Cave of Queens and Courtesans within the salle de danse, the ballerinos and ballerinas entering as the guests danced and joined them. As dancer after dancer entered, I could hear gasps and cries of the guests, startled to find them in their midst.

    2016, Alexander Chee, The Queen of the Night
    1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of primo ballerino (“star male ballet performer of a company”)

Ballerino2

proper nounBallerino (plural Ballerinoes or Ballerinos)

plural Ballerinoes · plural Ballerinos

  1. A surname from Italian

Origin

ballerino · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷelH-
  2. Late Latinballāre
  3. Italianballare
  4. Italianballerino
  5. Englishballerino

Borrowed from Italian ballerino.

Full word history & related roots →

Ballerino · proper noun

  1. ItalianBallerino
  2. EnglishBallerino

From Italian Ballerino.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French ballerin
  • ballerinmale ballet dancer
Italian ballerino, Ballerino
  • ballerinomale ballet dancer
  • BallerinoTranslations
Polish baletnik, Ballerino
  • baletnikmale ballet dancer
  • BallerinoTranslations
Portuguese bailarino
  • bailarinomale ballet dancer
Romanian balerin
  • balerinmale ballet dancer
Spanish bailarín
  • bailarínmale ballet dancer

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ballerino

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

ballerino. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballerino

MLA

“ballerino.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballerino. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ballerino,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballerino.

Source: ballerino on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.