dance
Americanverb (used without object)
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to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music.
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to leap, skip, etc., as from excitement or emotion; move nimbly or quickly.
to dance with joy.
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to bob up and down.
The toy sailboats danced on the pond.
verb (used with object)
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to perform or take part in (a dance).
to dance a waltz.
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to cause to dance.
He danced her around the ballroom.
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to cause to be in a specified condition by dancing.
She danced her way to stardom.
noun
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a successive group of rhythmical steps or bodily motions, or both, usually executed to music.
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an act or round of dancing; set.
May I have this dance?
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the art of dancing.
to study dance.
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a social gathering or party for dancing; ball.
Was he invited to the dance?
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a piece of music suited in rhythm or style to a particular form of dancing.
He liked the composer's country dances.
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Animal Behavior. a stylized pattern of movements performed by an animal, as a bird in courtship display, or an insect, as a honeybee in indicating a source of nectar.
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the dance, ballet, interpretive dancing, and other dancing of an artistic nature performed by professional dancers before an audience.
idioms
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dance attendance. attendance.
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dance on air, to be hanged.
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dance to another tune, to change one's behavior, attitudes, etc.
verb
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(intr) to move the feet and body rhythmically, esp in time to music
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(tr) to perform (a particular dance)
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(intr) to skip or leap, as in joy, etc
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to move or cause to move in a light rhythmic way
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to attend someone solicitously or obsequiously
noun
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a series of rhythmic steps and movements, usually in time to music
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an act of dancing
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a social meeting arranged for dancing; ball
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( as modifier )
a dance hall
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a piece of music in the rhythm of a particular dance form, such as a waltz
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short for dance music
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dancelike movements made by some insects and birds, esp as part of a behaviour pattern
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informal to cause someone continued worry and exasperation; play up
Other Word Forms
- antidancing adjective
- danceable adjective
- dancer noun
- dancing noun
- dancingly adverb
- outdance verb (used with object)
- undancing adjective
- well-danced adjective
Etymology
Origin of dance
First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English da(u)ncen, from Anglo-French dancer, dauncer, Old French dancier, perhaps from Old High German dansjan, dansōn (unrecorded) “to draw, stretch out, lead to a dance” ( see also tense 1 ( def. )); noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
A dance is a series of movements — sometimes choreographed, but sometimes not — where the person moves in time to music. Rumba, tango, disco, swing, and ballet are all examples of types of dances. If you move in a rhythmic manner — especially to music — you can use the verb dance to explain your actions. As a noun, a dance can be a social occasion, held by a school or by some other organization, where music is played and people gather to dance or just hang out. In fact, sometimes there is no actual dancing at a dance — especially when young teenagers feel awkward around one another.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Pope Leo arrived, rhythmic music blared from loudspeakers with inmates breaking into song and dance under the stern gaze of prison officers.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
You talk in the documentary about how the big idea at the outset of your solo career was fusing rock and dance music.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
When the play begins, Willie is practicing his moves for an upcoming ballroom dance contest he has entered with his girlfriend, Hilda.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
At midnight, people gather in the streets and dance the traditional Viennese waltz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
The pixies don’t dance and chirp the way they used to.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
