1. A professional female dancer in India, traditionally trained in classical dance forms and often employed for entertainment at celebrations or in courts.
Usage: historical; also spelled 'bayadere'; from Portuguese 'bailadeira' and Hindi 'baijantri'

Examples

• The bayadeer performed classical Indian dances at the royal court.
• In 19th-century literature, the bayadeer was often depicted as an exotic entertainer.
• The bayadeer's intricate footwork and hand gestures told stories from Hindu mythology.
• Colonial accounts frequently mentioned the bayadeer as a fixture of Indian cultural life.