bayadere

plural bayaderes

1. countabledatedA female dancer.

   The reflection of a greater thing claimed her and taught her, held her like a bayadere in a temple court.

   1918, Mary Johnston, Foes

   2 more examples

   Her performance being finished, the bayadere was succeeded by others, each of whom appeared to have her specialty--one imitating by her postures a serpent-charmer; another quite unequivocally representing a man-charmer; another rapidly executing what seemed an interminable pirouette.

   1876, Various, Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. XVII, No. 99, March, 1876

   For the time, at any rate, the neat dexterity of counting and numbering machines, building machines, spinning engines, patent doorways, explosive motors, grain and water elevators, slaughter-house machines and harvesting appliances, was more fascinating to Graham than any bayadere.

   1899, H.G. Wells, The Sleeper Awakes

   Synonyms: balladine

2. attributivecountableuncountableA type of fabric having strongly contrasting stripes.

   Bertha had chosen a blue and white silk of a bayadere stripe, with lace ruffles at the neck and wrists and a skirt of voluminous fulness.

   1906, Carolyn Wells, Patty's Summer Days