Hypertext Webster Gateway: "arabesque"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Arabesque \Ar`a*besque"\, n. [F. arabesque, fr. It. arabesco,
fr. Arabo Arab.]
A style of ornamentation either painted, inlaid, or carved in
low relief. It consists of a pattern in which plants, fruits,
foliage, etc., as well as figures of men and animals, real or
imaginary, are fantastically interlaced or put together.
Note: It was employed in Roman imperial ornamentation, and
appeared, without the animal figures, in Moorish and
Arabic decorative art. (See {Moresque}.) The arabesques
of the Renaissance were founded on Greco-Roman work.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Arabesque \Ar`a*besque"\, a.
1. Arabian. [Obs.]
2. Relating to, or exhibiting, the style of ornament called
arabesque; as, arabesque frescoes.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
arabesque
n 1: position in which the dancer has one leg raised behind and
arms outstretched in a conventional pose
2: an ornament that interlaces simulated foliage in an
intricate design
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