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dance
[dans, dahns] 
verb, danced, danc⋅ing, noun | 1. | to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, esp. to the accompaniment of music. |
| 2. | to leap, skip, etc., as from excitement or emotion; move nimbly or quickly: to dance with joy. |
| 3. | to bob up and down: The toy sailboats danced on the pond. |
| 4. | to perform or take part in (a dance): to dance a waltz. |
| 5. | to cause to dance: He danced her around the ballroom. |
| 6. | to cause to be in a specified condition by dancing: She danced her way to stardom. |
| 7. | a successive group of rhythmical steps or bodily motions, or both, usually executed to music. |
| 8. | an act or round of dancing; set: May I have this dance? |
| 9. | the art of dancing: to study dance. |
| 10. | a social gathering or party for dancing; ball: Was he invited to the dance? |
| 11. | a piece of music suited in rhythm or style to a particular form of dancing: He liked the composer's country dances. |
| 12. | Animal Behavior. a stylized pattern of movements performed by an animal, as a bird in courtship display, or an insect, as a honeybee in indicating a source of nectar. |
| 13. | the dance, ballet, interpretive dancing, and other dancing of an artistic nature performed by professional dancers before an audience. |
| 14. | dance attendance. attendance (def. 4). |
| 15. | dance on air, Slang. to be hanged. |
| 16. | dance to another tune, to change one's behavior, attitudes, etc. |
1250–1300; (v.) ME da(u)ncen < AF dancer, dauncer, OF dancier, perh. < OHG *dansjan to lead (someone) to a dance; (n.) ME da(u)nce < AF; OF dance, deriv. of dancier
Related forms:
2. cavort, caper, frolic, gambol, prance.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| dance (dāns) v. danced, danc·ing, danc·es v. intr.
[Middle English dauncen, from Old French danser, perhaps of Germanic origin.] danc'er n., danc'ing·ly adv. |
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Dance
Dance\ (d[.a]ns), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Danced; p. pr. & vb. n. Dancing.] [F. danser, fr. OHG. dans[=o]n to draw; akin to dinsan to draw, Goth. apinsan, and prob. from the same root (meaning to stretch) as E. thin. See Thin.]1. To move with measured steps, or to a musical accompaniment; to go through, either alone or in company with others, with a regulated succession of movements, (commonly) to the sound of music; to trip or leap rhythmically. Jack shall pipe and Gill shall dance. --Wither. Good shepherd, what fair swain is this Which dances with your daughter? --Shak. 2. To move nimbly or merrily; to express pleasure by motion; to caper; to frisk; to skip about. Then, 'tis time to dance off. --Thackeray. More dances my rapt heart Than when I first my wedded mistress saw. --Shak. Shadows in the glassy waters dance. --Byron. Where rivulets dance their wayward round. --Wordsworth. To dance on a rope, or To dance on nothing, to be hanged.Dance
Dance\, v. t. To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about, or up and down; to dandle. To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind. --Shak. Thy grandsire loved thee well; Many a time he danced thee on his knee. --Shak. To dance attendance, to come and go obsequiously; to be or remain in waiting, at the beck and call of another, with a view to please or gain favor. A man of his place, and so near our favor, To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasure. --Shak.Dance
Dance\, n. [F. danse, of German origin. See Dance, v. i.]1. The leaping, tripping, or measured stepping of one who dances; an amusement, in which the movements of the persons are regulated by art, in figures and in accord with music. 2. (Mus.) A tune by which dancing is regulated, as the minuet, the waltz, the cotillon, etc. Note: The word dance was used ironically, by the older writers, of many proceedings besides dancing. Of remedies of love she knew parchance For of that art she couth the olde dance. --Chaucer. Dance of Death (Art), an allegorical representation of the power of death over all, -- the old, the young, the high, and the low, being led by a dancing skeleton. Morris dance. See Morris. To lead one a dance, to cause one to go through a series of movements or experiences as if guided by a partner in a dance not understood.Cite This Source
dance
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Dance
found in Judg. 21:21, 23; Ps. 30:11; 149:3; 150:4; Jer. 31:4, 13, etc., as the translation of _hul_, which points to the whirling motion of Oriental sacred dances. It is the rendering of a word (rakad') which means to skip or leap for joy, in Eccl. 3:4; Job 21:11; Isa. 13:21, etc. In the New Testament it is in like manner the translation of different Greek words, circular motion (Luke 15:25); leaping up and down in concert (Matt. 11:17), and by a single person (Matt. 14:6). It is spoken of as symbolical of rejoicing (Eccl. 3:4. Comp. Ps. 30:11; Matt. 11: 17). The Hebrews had their sacred dances expressive of joy and thanksgiving, when the performers were usually females (Ex. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6). The ancient dance was very different from that common among Western nations. It was usually the part of the women only (Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34; comp. 5:1). Hence the peculiarity of David's conduct in dancing before the ark of the Lord (2 Sam. 6:14). The women took part in it with their timbrels. Michal should, in accordance with the example of Miriam and others, have herself led the female choir, instead of keeping aloof on the occasion and "looking through the window." David led the choir "uncovered", i.e., wearing only the ephod or linen tunic. He thought only of the honour of God, and forgot himself. From being reserved for occasions of religious worship and festivity, it came gradually to be practised in common life on occasions of rejoicing (Jer. 31:4). The sexes among the Jews always danced separately. The daughter of Herodias danced alone (Matt. 14:6).
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dance
In addition to the idioms beginning with dance, also see lead a chase (dance); song and dance.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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