ceilidh
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ceilidh
From Irish céilidhe, Scots Gaelic cèilidh, Middle Irish célide, derivative of Old Irish céile “companion”
Explanation
A ceilidh is an Irish or Scottish dance party with live music. If you have the chance to go to a ceilidh, you'll love learning group dances, often performed in a ring formation, and you might even see traditional step dancing. The earliest ceilidhs were simple parties without any music or dancing, or even informal social visits. The word comes from the Old Irish céle, "companion," and literally means "visit" in Gaelic. Modern ceilidhs are much more festive than an ordinary visit, and can feature fiddlers, singers, flutes, accordions, and more. Ceilidhs are quite common in Scotland (and Ireland, where they're spelled cèili), and their popularity extends to the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
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.
A "Night Afore Concert" on 30 December will feature performances from ceilidh bands Peat and Diesel and RuMac.
From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025
This year's event kicked off with the parade, followed by afternoon fun events, with a "celebration ceilidh" due to take place on Saturday evening.
From BBC • May 31, 2025
A "woman's side" and "man's side" is no longer required for ceilidh favourites like Strip the Willow.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2023
A ceilidh which was set to welcome the festival on Thursday night has also been cancelled.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2023
The burgh was a great place for suppers too, and never ceilidh nor supper went I to but the daughter of Provost Brown was there before me.
From John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn by Munro, Neil
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.
