waltz
pronunciation
How to pronounce waltz in British English:
UK [wɔːls]
How to pronounce waltz in American English:
US [wɔːls]
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- Noun:
- an assured victory (especially in an election)
- music composed in triple time for waltzing
- a ballroom dance in triple time with a strong accent on the first beat
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- Verb:
- dance a waltz
Word Origin
- waltz
- waltz: [18] To waltz is etymologically to ‘roll’. The word was adapted from German walzen. This meant literally ‘roll, revolve’. Its application to a dance that involves spinning round is a secondary development. It came from the prehistoric Germanic base *wal-, *wel- ‘roll’, which also produced English wallow, welter, etc, and it is ultimately related to English involve, volume, etc.=> wallow
- waltz (n.)
- round dance performed to music in triple time, extraordinarily popular as a fashionable dance from late 18c. to late 19c., the dance itself probably of Bohemian origin, 1781, from German Waltzer, from walzen "to roll, dance," from Old High German walzan "to turn, roll," from Proto-Germanic *walt- (cognate with Old Norse velta), from PIE root *wel- (3) "to turn, revolve" (see volvox). Described in 1825 as "a riotous and indecent German dance" [Walter Hamilton, "A Hand-Book or Concise Dictionary of Terms Used in the Arts and Sciences"]. The music struck up a beautiful air, and the dancers advanced a few steps, when suddenly, to my no small horror and amazement, the gentlemen seized the ladies round the waist, and all, as if intoxicated by this novel juxtaposition, began to whirl about the room, like a company of Bacchanalians dancing round a statue of the jolly god. "A waltz!" exclaimed I, inexpressibly shocked, "have I lived to see Scotch women waltz?" ["The Edinburgh Magazine," April, 1820]
- waltz (v.)
- 1794, from waltz (n.). Meaning "to move nimbly" (as one does in dancing a waltz) is recorded from 1862. Related: Waltzed; waltzing.
Example
- 1. Giants have even been known to waltz down the street together .
- 2. This is the door the remarkable mr. obama is about to waltz through .
- 3. But with time , this delicate waltz has grown harder and harder to sustain .
- 4. Every night the emperor wound her up , and she sang waltz tunes to him .
- 5. At ten she was gliding round to the waltz and the foxtrot at social-dancing classes in grand rapids , michigan .