dance
pronunciation
How to pronounce dance in British English:
UK [dɑːns]
How to pronounce dance in American English:
US [dæns]
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- Noun:
- an artistic form of nonverbal communication
- a party of people assembled for dancing
- taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
- a party for social dancing
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- Verb:
- move in a graceful and rhythmical way
- move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance
- skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways
Word Origin
- dance
- dance: [13] The history of the word dance, now widespread amongst European languages (French dansir, Spanish danzar, Italian danzare, German tanzen, Swedish dansa, Russian tancovat’), is disappointingly obscure. All these forms, including the English word, stem from an original Old French danser. This developed from an assumed Vulgar Latin *dansāre, which may have been borrowed from a Frankish *dintjan (Frisian dintje ‘tremble’ has been compared).
- dance (v.)
- c. 1300, from Old French dancier (12c., Modern French danser), which is of unknown origin, perhaps from Low Frankish *dintjan and akin to Old Frisian dintje "tremble, quiver." A word of uncertain origin but which, through French influence in arts and society, has become the primary word for this activity from Spain to Russia (Italian danzare, Spanish danzar, Rumanian dansa, Swedish dansa, German tanzen). In part the loanword from French is used mainly with reference to fashionable dancing while the older native word persists in use with reference to folk-dancing, as definitively Russ. pljasat' vs. tancovat' [Buck]. Replaced Old English sealtian, itself a borrowing from Latin saltare "to dance," frequentative of salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.); "dance" words frequently are derived from words meaning "jump, leap"). Related: Danced; dancing. It is strange, and will, I am sure, appear to my readers almost incredible, that as far as I have ever read, there is no reference that can be identified as containing a clear allusion to dancing in any of our really ancient MS. books. [Eugene O'Curry, "On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish," vol. 2, p.406, 1873]
- dance (n.)
- c. 1300, from dance (v.).
Example
- 1. Greek music and dance were also highly developed arts .
- 2. Dance clubs are also getting in on the action .
- 3. Would you mind if I sit out the next dance ?
- 4. I will invite another lady at dance .
- 5. It 's a simple story of my first school dance .