dance Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an artistic form of nonverbal communication
  2. noun a party of people assembled for dancing
  3. noun taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
    terpsichore; saltation; dancing.
  4. noun a party for social dancing
  5. verb move in a graceful and rhythmical way
    • The young girl danced into the room
  6. verb move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance
    trip the light fantastic; trip the light fantastic toe.
    • My husband and I like to dance at home to the radio
  7. verb skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways
    • Dancing flames
    • The children danced with joy

WordNet

Dance intransitive verb
Etymology
F. danser, fr. OHG. dansn to draw; akin to dinsan to draw, Goth. apinsan, and prob. from the same root (meaning to stretch) as E. thin. See Thin.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Danced ; present participle & verbal noun Dancing
Definitions
  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 rhytmically.
    Jack shall pipe and Gill shall dance. Wiher.
    Good shepherd, what fair swain is this Which dances with your dauther? 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.
Dance transitive verb
Definitions
  1. 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.
    A man of his place, and so near our favor, To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasure. Shak.
Dance noun
Etymology
F. danse, of German origin. See Dance, v. i.
Definitions
  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. ✍ 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.

Webster 1913