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glissade

  (glĭ-säd', -sād') pronunciation
n.
  1. A gliding step in ballet.
  2. A controlled slide, in either a standing or sitting position, used in descending a steep icy or snowy incline.
intr.v., -sad·ed, -sad·ing, -sades.

To perform a glissade.

[French, from glisser, to slide, from Old French, possibly alteration (influenced by glacer, to slide) of glier, to glide, of Germanic origin.]

glissader glis·sad'er n.
 
 
Thesaurus: glissade

verb

    To move smoothly, continuously, and effortlessly: glide, lapse, slide, slip, slither. See move/halt.

 

glissade. (Fr., glide). A gliding movement, which can be executed either forward, backward, or to the side. It is used mostly as a linking step.

 
WordNet: glissade
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a gliding or sliding step in ballet


The verb glissade has one meaning:

Meaning #1: perform a glissade, in ballet


 
Wikipedia: glissade

Glissading is the usually voluntary act of descending a steep slope of snow in a controlled manner either for the sheer thrill of the ride and/or to bypass tedious scree. Glissading is an alternative to plunge stepping and also cuts down on descent time.

Types

There are three primary methods of glissading:

  1. Sitting
  2. Standing
  3. Crouching

Sitting glissade

This is the easiest type of glissade and generally provides the best feeling control. It is also less tiring than a standing or crouching glissade in softer snow. To perform a sitting glissade one sits down and slides on the slope usually holding on to an ice axe in a self-arrest position, especially when the run-out of the slope is in question.

The major drawbacks to the sitting glissade are that one's outer layers get wet, and that there is less control than in a standing glissade.

Standing glissade

The standing glissade is often the preferred method if the person glissading is skilled in doing so and snow conditions allow. In this glissading position one has a better view of route hazards, and increased maneuverability over a sitting glissade. In addition a standing glissade cuts down the wet and abrasive forces of the sitting glissade. The standing glissade is best performed over firm snow with a soft top layer.

Crouching glissade

The crouching glissade is similar to the standing method except the climber sits back and drags the spike of their ice axe (held in self-arrest grip) in the snow. The method is slower but more controlled than the standing glissade. A disadvantage to this technique is the tiring of the legs.

References

Glissade is also a ballet step.


 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dictionary of Dance. The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. Copyright © 2000, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Glissade" Read more

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