trapeze

 
Pronunciation: /trəˈpiːz/

noun

  • 1 (also flying trapeze) a horizontal bar hanging by two ropes and free to swing, used by acrobats in a circus.
  • 2 Sailing a harness attached by a cable to a dinghy’s mast, enabling a sailor to balance the boat by leaning backwards far out over the windward side.

Origin:

mid 19th century: from French trapèze, from late Latin trapezium (see trapezium)