What does battu mean?
"Battu" is a French term adopted into English almost solely within the specialized language of classical ballet. Derived from the French verb battre, meaning "to beat," it functions as a descriptive label for any step performed with a beat — that is, with the working leg striking against the other leg while airborne. Dancers and choreographers attach it to the names of familiar steps, producing compound terms such as jeté battu, entrechat battu, and assemblé battu, all of which denote versions of those jumps embellished with rapid crossing movements of the feet. Because ballet vocabulary is used internationally and remains in French regardless of the surrounding language, "battu" keeps its French pronunciation and its postpositive placement. Outside the dance studio the word has no independent life in English, though its root connects it to such familiar words as battle and combat, which descend from the same Latin source, battuere, "to beat."
adjective (used as a technical term in ballet)In ballet terminology borrowed from French, "battu" describes a step in which the working leg beats against the other leg, striking it in the air. It is applied to jumps such as the entrechat and jeté battu, where the feet open and cross rapidly mid-air.
- (ballet) Of a step or jump: performed with a beat, in which one leg strikes the other in the air.
- (French, not standard English) Past participle of battre — struck, beaten.
"Her jeté battu drew gasps from the audience as her feet beat together in a flash of precision."
"The corps de ballet executed a crisp series of assemblés battus in perfect unison."
"Her entrechat quatre was notably battu, each beat landing with audible clarity."
Every time a ballet dancer's feet seem to clap mid-air, that's "battu" — a little piece of French grammar that leapt straight onto the stage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of battu
"Battu" is the past participle of the French verb battre, "to beat," which descends from the Late Latin verb battuere, meaning to strike or beat repeatedly. The same Latin root gave English the words battle, combat, batter, and abate, largely through French transmission. Ballet terminology was codified in France, so when English absorbed the technical language of dance it took "battu" over whole, retaining both its meaning of "beaten" and its position after the step it qualifies.
How battu is actually used
"Battu" is not an everyday English word; it belongs almost exclusively to the specialized vocabulary of classical dance, where French terms are used internationally. It normally follows the name of the step it modifies (e.g., "jeté battu") rather than standing alone. Outside ballet contexts, speakers encountering "battu" are usually seeing the French past participle of battre, which is not part of standard English.
Easily confused with battu
"Battue" refers either to a hunting drive in which beaters flush game toward waiting hunters, or to a violent slaughter, whereas "battu" is a ballet term describing a beating action of the legs.