cakewalk

American  

[keyk-wawk] / ˈkeɪkˌwɔk /

noun

1. (formerly) a promenade or march, of Black American origin, in which the couples with the most intricate or eccentric steps received cakes as prizes.

2. a dance with a strutting step based on this promenade.

3. music for this dance.

4. Informal. something easy, sure, or certain.

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verb (used without object)

1. to walk or dance in or as if in a cakewalk.

cakewalk British  

/ ˈkeɪkˌwɔːk /

noun

1. a dance based on a march with intricate steps, originally performed by African-Americans with the prize of a cake for the best performers

2. a piece of music composed for this dance

3. informal an easily accomplished task

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verb

1. (intr) to perform the cakewalk

Other Word Forms

• cakewalker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cakewalk

First recorded in 1860–65; cake + walk

Example Sentences

“This young girl, not quite middle school yet, did the Cakewalk, with such swagger in her stance,” Ms. Williams said.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2020

This was especially important for enslaved African-Americans, who invented group dances like the Ring Shout or the Cakewalk as subversive acts against racial oppression.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2020

An elaborately staged ball scene in which the cast performs the Cakewalk is the longest early record of black vernacular dance on film, the curators said.

From New York Times • Sep. 20, 2014

Turning your computer into a recording studio with programs like Pro Tools and Cakewalk Plasma means splashing out hundreds of dollars and slogging through dense instruction manuals.

From Time Magazine Archive

The other two creations are the Cakewalk and ragtime.

From The Book of American Negro Poetry by Johnson, James Weldon

Related Words

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