1 : a dance of French peasant origin marked by the raising rather than sliding of the feet. 2 : a tune for the gavotte in moderately quick ⁴/₄ time. Other Words from gavotte Example Sentences Learn More About gavotte.

What does gavotte mean in Italian?

The term gavotte for a lively dance originated in the 1690s from Old Provençal gavoto (mountaineer's dance) from gavot, a local name for an Alpine resident, said to mean literally "boor", "glutton", from gaver (to stuff, force-feed poultry) from Old Provençal gava (crop).

What is a gavotte in music?

A gavotte is an old French dance in quadruple metre. ... It's a dance in four beats to a bar, but with a longish up-beat: two full beats to be exact.