▪ 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. |