cancan

American  

[kan-kan] / ˈkænˌkæn /

noun

1. a lively high kicking dance that came into vogue about 1830 in Paris and after 1844 was used as an exhibition dance.

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cancan British  

/ ˈkænˌkæn /

noun

1. a high-kicking dance performed by a female chorus, originating in the music halls of 19th-century Paris

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Etymology

Origin of cancan

1840–50; < French, repetitive compound (based on can ) said to be nursery variant of canard duck; see canard

Example Sentences

It built a reputation for hosting whirlwind nights and extravagant shows, and its dancers played a paramount role in bringing the frenzied style of the modern cancan dance to the mainstream.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2024

Arquette talks about the Apple TV+ comedy series in which she plays a former addict and cancan dancer who decides to become a private investigator.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2023

Exuberant cancan melodies from the film soundtracks filtered through the galleries, seeming to animate Lautrec’s imagery.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2019

Brown said, doing a one-legged cancan kick to prove it.

From Slate • Jan. 12, 2017

Here lies one who danced a cancan and ate marrons glac�s all day.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 100, April 11, 1891 by Various