English Explanatory Dictionary

dance

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.
  2. A social gathering where dancing is the main activity.
  3. The art, profession, and study of dancing.
  4. Ellipsis of electronic dance music.
  5. A piece of music with a particular dance rhythm.
  6. A battle of wits, especially one commonly fought between two rivals.
  7. Any strenuous or difficult movement, action, or task.
  8. A repetitive movement used in communication between worker honey bees.
verb
  1. To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.
  2. To leap or move lightly and rapidly.
  3. To perform the steps to.
  4. To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about.
  5. To make love or have sex.
  6. To make a repetitive movement in order to communicate to other worker honey bees.
  7. To kick and convulse from the effects of being hanged.
noun
  1. A normally horizontal stripe called a fess that has been modified to zig-zag across the center of a coat of arms from dexter to sinister.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/dɑːns/ [dɑːns] en-uk-dance.ogg /dæns/ [dɛəns] [deəns] en-us-dance.ogg [dæns] [dans] [däns] [dæːns] [däːns] [dɐːns] [ɖɑːns]

Word forms

dance dances daunce dancing danced

Etymology

Etymology tree Vulgar Latin *dantiāreder. Anglo-Norman dauncerbor. Middle English dauncen English dance From Middle English dauncen, from Anglo-Norman dauncer, from Vulgar Latin *dantiāre, of uncertain origin. Displaced Old English sealtian, and partially displaced Old English hlēapan (“to leap, dance, run”) (whence modern leap). Doublet of danza.

Synonyms

dance get some have sex throw shapes do the deed

Related words

:Category:Dances acrobatics ballet ballroom disco foxtrot hiphop jazz modern musical theatre tap dancing terpsichorean

Derived words

adance antidance avant-dance belly-dance break-dance Caribbean dance music cinedance country-dance cushion-dance danceaholic danceathon dance band dance belt dance-card dance card dancefest dance floor dance fly dance game dance-goer dancegoer dancegoing dance gypsy dancehall dance-hall dance hall dance-happy dance hostess danceless dancelike danceline dance machine dancemaker dancemaking dance mat dance move dance music dance of death dance-off dance of the seven veils dance on a rope dance on nothing dance on someone's grave dance pad dance platform dance pole dancepop dance-pop dancercise dancery dancescape dance school dancesport dance step dance studio dancetime dance-time dancewear dancy disco-dance

Translations

Afrikaans: dans Ahom: 𑜀𑜠 Albanian: vallëzim Albanian: Kërcim Aleut: ax̂alix Southern Altai: бийе Southern Altai: бије Amharic: ጭፈራ Antillean Creole: dans Antillean Creole: zouk Arabic: رَقْص Arabic: رقص Arabic: شطيح Armenian: պար Assamese: নাচ Assamese: নাচোন Assamese: নৃত্য Asturian: baille Atayal: myugi Atayal: mzyugi Azerbaijani: rəqs Azerbaijani: oyun Baluchi: ناچ Baluchi: چاپ Bashkir: бейеү Basque: dantza Belarusian: та́нец Bengali: নৃত্য Betawi: dangsa Betawi: jogèt Betawi: ibing Betawi: igel Betawi: tandak Breton: dañs Breton: koroll Bulgarian: танц Burmese: အက Carpathian Rusyn: та́нець Catalan: ball Catalan: dansa Cebuano: sayaw Chakma: 𑄚𑄌𑄴 Chechen: хелхар Chickasaw: hilha' Chinese Cantonese: 舞蹈 Chinese Cantonese: 跳舞 Chinese: тёву Chinese: 舞蹈 Chinese: 跳舞 Chinese Mandarin: 舞蹈 Chinese Mandarin: 跳舞 Wu Chinese: 舞蹈 Wu Chinese: 跳舞 East Circassian: къафэ East Circassian: удж West Circassian: къашъо West Circassian: удж Crimean Tatar: oyun Czech: tanec Danish: dans Dutch: dans Esperanto: danco Estonian: tants
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