1. plural of courante, a type of dance in triple time that was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries
Usage: music; dance; historical
2. plural of courante, musical compositions written in the style of this dance, often part of baroque dance suites
Usage: music; classical

Examples

• The baroque suite included several courantes between the allemande and sarabande.
• Bach wrote many beautiful courantes in his keyboard suites.
• The dancers performed traditional courantes at the historical reenactment.
• These courantes demonstrate the elegant triple meter characteristic of the form.
• The musician studied various courantes to understand baroque dance rhythms.
• French courantes typically had a more flowing character than Italian ones.