What does leotard mean?
Word: Leotard
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Leotard means a close-fitting piece of clothing that covers the body from the shoulders to the top of the legs, worn by dancers and gymnasts.
How do you spell leotard?
Syllables: le - o - tard
Tricky part: It opens with three letters that make two sounds, leo. Pupils often write lio or lea there.
Watch out for: liotard, leatard
Memory tip: Think of a lion cub named Leo doing a handstand: those three letters open the word.
Leotard in a sentence
Example 1: Tara wore a blue leotard for her first gymnastics class.
Example 2: The dance teacher asked us to bring a plain black leotard and tights.
Example 3: Her team's leotard had silver stars across the shoulders.
Fun Fact
It is named after Jules Leotard, a French acrobat of the 1860s who performed on the flying trapeze and made the close-fitting outfit famous.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
leot_r_
a) a, t
b) o, d
c) a, d
d) e, d
Show answer
c) a, d. The last beat has the vowel of car, and it closes as card does.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
leottard
a) a
b) r
c) o
d) t
Show answer
d) t. A single t sits in the middle.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
Nisha zipped up her silver dtealor and walked to the balance beam.
a) lanyard
b) leopard
c) leotard
d) leeward
Show answer
c) leotard. The jumble has a t and an o, and no p, n, y or w.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. tracksute 2. dungerees 3. leotard 4. swimsiut
a) loose trousers with a piece that covers the chest
b) a warm jacket and trousers for sports
c) an outfit worn in the pool or sea
d) a snug one-piece outfit for gym or dance practice
Show answer
d) a snug one-piece outfit for gym or dance practice. Tracksuit and swimsuit both end in suit, and dungarees has an a.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who would pack a leotard for training?
a) a chess player
b) a table tennis umpire
c) a fast bowler
d) a rhythmic gymnast
Show answer
d) a rhythmic gymnast
2. Which of these garments is closest to a leotard?
a) a one-piece swimming costume
b) a long woollen coat
c) a thick padded jacket
d) a pair of loose shorts
Show answer
a) a one-piece swimming costume
