cancan
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cancan
1840–50; < French, repetitive compound (based on can ) said to be nursery variant of canard duck; see canard
Vocabulary lists containing cancan
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.
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
Though she’s happy enough with her job as a costumed cancan dancer in a Wild West theme park, necessity drives her toward a new career: private investigator.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2023
Nor is Kosky so experimental that he can resist a classic cancan during the climactic “Galop Infernal.”
From New York Times • Oct. 1, 2020
Exuberant cancan melodies from the film soundtracks filtered through the galleries, seeming to animate Lautrec’s imagery.
From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2019
Especially, as I feel in the mood for dancing a cancan, if it's a bit chicardini.
From Fr?d?rique; vol. 1 by Kock, Charles Paul de
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.
