dance

A1 Topic:Art & Music

US /dæns/ UK /dɑːns/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like dense /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Freq #621

Meanings

1

verb
To move your body in time to music.

They danced all night at the wedding.
2

noun
A series of steps and movements done in time to music.

She taught us a simple dance in thirty minutes.
3

noun
A social event where people dance.

The school is holding a dance on Friday evening.
4

noun
A piece of music written to be danced to.

The band played a slow dance for the couples.

Verb forms

dance, danced, danced

Thesaurus

Synonyms

copulate

Word family

Derived forms adanceantidanceavant-dancebedancebelly-dancebraindancebreak-dancebreakdancecinedancecountry-dancecushion-dancedance-card

Related forms acrobatics ballet ballroom discofoxtrothiphopjazz modern terpsichorean

Appears in

Phrases (12)

See all

do a dance
perform a dance

Verb + noun
learn a dance
acquire the ability to do a specific dance

Verb + noun
slow dance
a dance performed to slow music, typically in close embrace

Adjective + noun
traditional dance
a dance that forms part of a culture's heritage

Adjective + noun
teach a dance
instruct others in how to do a particular dance

Verb + noun
folk dance
a dance rooted in a community's rural or cultural tradition

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (6)

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Simplified etymology

Dance entered English from French during the Middle Ages.

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.

dauncen Middle English dancier xno *dantiāre la-vul

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Art & Music Theater & Performance

External links

# dance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /dæns/
**IPA (UK):** /dɑːns/
**Frequency rank:** 621

## Meanings
1. To move your body in time to music.
2. A series of steps and movements done in time to music.
3. A social event where people dance.
4. A piece of music written to be danced to.

## Examples
- They danced all night at the wedding.
- She taught us a simple dance in thirty minutes.
- The school is holding a dance on Friday evening.
- The band played a slow dance for the couples.

## Synonyms
- copulate

## Derived Forms
- adance
- antidance
- avant-dance
- bedance
- belly-dance
- braindance
- break-dance
- breakdance
- cinedance
- country-dance
- cushion-dance
- dance-card

## Related Forms
- acrobatics
- ballet
- ballroom
- disco
- foxtrot
- hiphop
- jazz
- modern
- terpsichorean

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dauncen
- Root: dancier
- Root: *dantiāre

## 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.

## AI Etymology
dance comes 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. The historical chain includes Middle English dauncen, xno dancier, la-vul *dantiāre. Current senses include to move your body in time to music and A series of steps and movements done in time to music. English relatives and later formations include adance, antidance, avant-dance, acrobatics, ballet.

## Topics
- Art & Music
- Theater & Performance

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