dance

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   taking a series of rhythmical steps and movements in time to music

   Anyone can learn this dance in 30 minutes.

2. 2
   verb

   move in a graceful and rhythmical way

   I danced into the room.

3. 3
   noun

   A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.

   I do a dance when she plays the drums!

4. 4
   noun

   A social gathering where dancing is the main activity.

   The dance we had in August 2008 is one of the greatest moments of my life!

5. 5
   noun

   A piece of music with a particular dance rhythm.

   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.

6. 6
   noun

   A battle of wits, especially one commonly fought between two rivals.

   So how much longer are we gonna do this dance?

7. 7
   noun

   Any strenuous or difficult movement, action, or task.

   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.

8. 8
   noun

   A repetitive movement used in communication between 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.

Etymology

Etymology tree Vulgar Latin *dantiāreder. Anglo-Norman dauncerbor. Middle English dauncen English dance 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.