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Dance
Definitions
- 1 A surname.
- 1 A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction. countable, uncountable
"I do a dance when she plays the drums!"
- 2 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.
"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[…]"
- 3 taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music wordnet
- 4 A social gathering where dancing is the main activity. countable, uncountable
"The dance we had in August 2008 is one of the greatest moments of my life!"
- 5 an artistic form of nonverbal communication wordnet
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- 6 The art, profession, and study of dancing. uncountable
- 7 a party for social dancing wordnet
- 8 A genre of modern music characterised by sampled beats, repetitive rhythms and few lyrics. uncountable
- 9 a party of people assembled for dancing wordnet
- 10 A piece of music with a particular dance rhythm. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 11 A battle of wits, especially one commonly fought between two rivals. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"So how much longer are we gonna do this dance?"
- 12 Any strenuous or difficult movement, action, or task. countable, dated, figuratively, uncountable
"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."
- 13 A repetitive movement used in communication between worker honey bees. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 1 To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music. intransitive
"I danced with her all night long."
- 2 move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance wordnet
- 3 To leap or move lightly and rapidly. intransitive
"His eyes danced with pleasure as he spoke. She accused her political opponent of dancing around the issue instead of confronting it."
- 4 move in a graceful and rhythmical way wordnet
- 5 To perform the steps to. transitive
"Have you ever danced the tango?"
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- 6 skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways wordnet
- 7 To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about. transitive
"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."
- 8 To make love or have sex. euphemistic, figuratively
"You make me feel like dancing."
- 9 To make a repetitive movement in order to communicate to other worker honey bees.
"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."
- 10 To kick and convulse from the effects of being hanged. euphemistic, figuratively
"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."
Etymology
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.
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.
Related to dancy, dancetté, French danché.
See also for "dance"
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