"theatrical, costumed dance and pantomime performance telling a story and representing characters and passions by gestures and groupings," 1660s, from French ballette from Italian balletto, diminutive of ballo "a dance," from Late Latin ballare "to dance," from Greek ballizein "to dance, jump about" (see ball (n.2)).
ball-bearing
ball-boy
ball-club
ball-cock
ballerina
ballet
balletomane
ballgame
ballista
ballistic
ballistics