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rigadoon

 - 3 dictionary results

rig⋅a⋅doon

[rig-uh-doon]
–noun
1. a lively dance, formerly popular, for one couple, characterized by a jumping step and usually in quick duple meter.
2. a piece of music for this dance or in its rhythm.


Origin:
1685–95; < F rigaudon, perh. from name Rigaud
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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rig·a·doon   (rĭg'ə-dōōn')   
n.  
  1. A lively jumping quickstep for two couples.

  2. Music for this dance, usually in rapid duple meter.


[French rigaudon, possibly from the name Rigaud.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

rigadoon

sprightly 17th-century French folk dance for couples. Its hopping steps were adopted by the skillful dancers of the French and English courts, where it remained fashionable through the 18th century. Conjecture assigns its origins to Provencal sailors and its name to a Marseille dance master, Rigaud, who reputedly introduced the dance to Parisian society in 1630. As a court dance, it was performed by dancers who ran, turned, and repeated in place a series of jumping steps.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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