dance — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   This dance is easy to learn.

   I do a dance when she plays the drums!

   He does the Gangnam Style dance with his friends in school.

   More examples (1)

   "I ought to arise and go forth with timbrels and with dances; but, do you know, I am not inclined to revels? There has been a little—just a very little bit too much festivity so far …. Not that I don't adore dinners and gossip and dances; not that I do not love to pervade bright and glittering places.[…]"

2. A social gathering where dancing is the main activity.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   The dance we had in August 2008 is one of the greatest moments of my life!

   More examples (2)

   "I ought to arise and go forth with timbrels and with dances; but, do you know, I am not inclined to revels? There has been a little—just a very little bit too much festivity so far …. Not that I don't adore dinners and gossip and dances; not that I do not love to pervade bright and glittering places.[…]"

   But, he continued, "the experience of the Peking Municipal Communist Youth League shows that, as long as dance parties are organized and supervised well by the work units concerned and these units organize their own sentries, as long as the people attending these dances are given a little coaching in advance on what is meant by normal socializing and recreation, and as long as these dances are organized, led and guided properly, there will be no incidents."

3. The art, profession, and study of dancing.

   Usage

   • Uncountable

4. A piece of music with a particular dance rhythm.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.

5. A battle of wits, especially one commonly fought between two rivals.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Figurative
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   So how much longer are we gonna do this dance?

6. Any strenuous or difficult movement, action, or task.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Dated
   • Figurative
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   He that would watch the king's hares must not drag himself along as if he was a lazybones with soles of lead to his boots, or like a fly on a tar-brush, for when the hares began to scamper about on the hill-sides it was quite another dance than lying at home and catching fleas with mittens on.

7. A repetitive movement used in communication between worker honey bees.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   It was seen that the readiness to dance and intensity of the dance are clearly increased when the temperature in the hive remained between 28-36° C.

Verb

1. To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   We dance every Friday.

   I danced with her all night long.

   These drum beats are making me dance!

   More examples (1)

   “Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.

2. To leap or move lightly and rapidly.

   Usage

   • Figurative
   • Intransitive

   Examples

   His eyes danced with pleasure as he spoke. She accused her political opponent of dancing around the issue instead of confronting it.

   And woods along the banks are waving high, / Whose shadows in the glassy waters dance,

   More examples (2)

   Sweet visions of you / Will dance through my head / Tonight while I lie / Awake in my bed

   A common and beautiful side-effect of high solar activity is the Aurora Borealis - the northern lights that dance across Arctic skies.

3. To perform the steps to.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   Have you ever danced the tango?

4. To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, By pavèd fountain, or by rushy brook, or in the beachèd margent of the sea, To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sport.

   Thy grandsire loved thee well; / Many a time he danced thee on his knee.

5. To make love or have sex.

   Usage

   • euphemistic
   • Figurative

   Examples

   You make me feel like dancing.

6. To make a repetitive movement in order to communicate to other worker honey bees.

   Usage

   • of a worker honey bee

   Examples

   It was seen that the readiness to dance and intensity of the dance are clearly increased when the temperature in the hive remained between 28-36° C.

7. To kick and convulse from the effects of being hanged.

   Usage

   • euphemistic
   • Figurative

   Examples

   More examples (6)

   If that veil can be maintained, if the workers can be kept from knowing the perfidy of officials, the criminality of capitalism, the murderous vengeance that is planned by the plutocratic powers of America, then Charles Moyer, William D. Haywood, and George Pettibone will dance on empty air, while the ghouls of capitalism rejoice because they have landed another blow upon the body of resisting labor.

   Beneath the shoulder blades of the limp form lying there lay the heart that had hated him, that had beat high at the thought of seeing him kick at the end of a hangman's rope, that had exulted in the prospect of him dancing a death dance on air.

   Simon had seen other men executed at Berkeley, both in the castle and outside in the village. They were usually strung up like rats, left to dance, their death throes sometimes seeming to last forever.

   'Hats off!' the shout went up, not out of respect for those about to die, but for a better view of their death dance. The hangman, who was as drunk as anyone else, uncoiled the rope's free end from each prisoner in turn and threw it up to an assistant balanced precariously on the beam above. Each was tightly fastened, leaving very little slack. When the moment came, the carts would be driven out from under the prisoners, leaving them dancing the Tyburn jig, their legs paddling helplessly in the air.

   Not only will you be whipped, but Jack Ketch will be displeased. He knows how to attach the rope just so...a man's neck can be snaped in an instant and he feels pain for a moment only. Or, at Ketch's pleasure, the man swings in the air, his legs dance in an ungainly manner, his face turns red, his tongue turns purple and protrudes - a poor devil once bit off the tip and spit it out, and he chocked(sic) to death.

   Initially, all hanging deaths were by the short rope. The victims strangled as they performed a twitching death dance. Over time there was a move to a longer rope. The extra drop meant the victim's neck snapped, causing a more humane death. For a long time adter the long rope was introduced, stories circulated around Aberdeen of executioners slipping in the short rope for criminals convicted of particularly heinous crimes, especially for crimes against children. No quick end for these devils. A slow dancing death, courtesy of the short rope, brouht in by canny executioners.

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.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   The fact appears to have been that Simon de Montacute bore two coats; the one, Argent, three fusils, which it is most probable was a corruption of a fess dancette, or a dance, Gules; and the other, Azure, a griffin segreant[…]

   It is as follows - being headed by a shield of arms in colours - gold with a dance gules between three croslets fitchy gules.

   Or, a dance gules, in chief 3 lions' faces sable.

Noun

1. an artistic form of nonverbal communication

   Broader terms

   artfine art

2. a party of people assembled for dancing

   Broader terms

   party

3. taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music

   Synonyms

   dancingterpsichoresaltation

   Broader terms

   diversionrecreationperforming arts

4. a party for social dancing

   Broader terms

   party

Verb

1. move in a graceful and rhythmical way

   Broader terms

   move

   Examples

   The young girl danced into the room

2. move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance

   Synonyms

   trip the light fantastictrip the light fantastic toe

   Broader terms

   move

   Examples

   My husband and I like to dance at home to the radio

3. skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways

   Broader terms

   move

   Examples

   Dancing flames

   The children danced with joy