▪ I. ‖ chassé, n. Dancing.
(ʃase)
[Fr.; lit. ‘chasing, chase’.]
A gliding step, in a quadrille and other dances, executed by bringing one foot behind the other while this is at the same time advanced, much as in bringing oneself into step in walking; also, the name of a figured step, containing two of these, the direction for which is chassez croisez.
1867 R. Broughton Cometh up as Flower (Hoppe) Who makes her steps and chassés, as the world chasséd in the days when she was Miss Morton Harris. 1880 Ball-room Compan. (Routledge) 22 (Quadrille) Steps are gone quite out of fashion: even the chassé has been given up for some time past. Ibid. 74 (Valse à deux temps) The step contains two movements, a glissade and a chassez. |
▪ II. ‖ chassé, v.
Also chassez, chassey.
[parts of the F. verb chasser (in same sense), esp. the imperative chassez as a direction.]
1. Dancing. To execute the step or movement called a chassé.
1803 Petit. agst. Tractorising Trumpery 14 And made them rigadoon and chassée. 1826 Disraeli Viv. Grey (1868) 364 A husband chassezing forward to murder his wife. 1865 Sat. Rev. 11 Nov. 614 Lighting upon one toe at the Twickenham letter-office, turning on it while exchanging bags, and chasséing back to town. 1880 Ball-room Compan. (Routledge) 74 Pass left foot behind right, and chassez forward with it. 1884 Harper's Mag. Feb. 406/1 She pirouetted and chasseyed at the changes of the tune. |
2. trans. To dismiss. (Society slang.)
1847 Thackeray Lords & Liv. iii, He was chasséd on the spot. 1868 Yates Rock Ahead (Hoppe) If indeed the turf were not abandoned, and the ‘confederate’ chasséd. |