Pointe
/pwæ̃t/noun
A ballet term for dancing on the tips of the toes; in French, it can also mean a point, tip, or pointed end.
Did you know?In ballet, being “on pointe” comes from the French word for a point or tip, so the whole idea is literally about rising onto the very point of the toe.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
punctum
“a point; a prick; a puncture”
Old French
Old French
point
“a point, dot, tip, or small spot”
Modern French
French
pointe
“a point, tip, peak; in ballet, the tip of the toe”
19th Century
English
on pointe
“dancing on the tips of the toes”