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definitions

Charleston

1
[chahrlz-tuh n, chahrl-stuh n]
|

noun

a vigorous, rhythmic ballroom dance popular in the 1920s.

verb (used without object)

to dance the Charleston.

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RELATED WORDS

disco, waltz, rock, samba, tango, tap, skip, jump, shimmy, trip, caper, jig, leap, hop, frolic, sway, cavort, hustle, whirl, strut

Origin of Charleston

1
named after Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston

2
[chahrlz-tuh n, chahrl-stuh n]

noun

a seaport in SE South Carolina.
a city in and the capital of West Virginia, in the W part.
a city in E central Illinois.

West Virginia

noun

a state in the E United States. 24,181 sq. mi. (62,629 sq. km). Capital: Charleston. Abbreviation: WV (for use with zip code), W.Va.
Related formsWest Virginian, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for charleston

British Dictionary definitions for charleston

charleston

noun

a fast rhythmic dance of the 1920s, characterized by kicking and by twisting of the legs from the knee down

Word Origin for charleston

C20: named after Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston

noun

a city in central West Virginia: the state capital. Pop: 51 394 (2003 est)
a port in SE South Carolina, on the Atlantic: scene of the first action in the Civil War. Pop: 101 024 (2003 est)

West Virginia

noun

a state of the eastern US: part of Virginia until the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861); consists chiefly of the Allegheny Plateau; bounded on the west by the Ohio River; coal-mining. Capital: Charleston. Pop: 1 810 354 (2003 est). Area: 62 341 sq km (24 070 sq miles)Abbreviation: W Va, W. Va., (with zip code) WV
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for charleston

Charleston

dance style characterized by side-kicks from the knee, 1923 (as title of a song), 1925 as a dance, from the U.S. city of Charleston, South Carolina, which was named for King Charles II of England.

Whether the Charleston (dance) has come to stay or not, it behooves every open-minded hostess and musician to "try it out" anyhow. [Ethel P. Peyser, "The Rotarian," July 1926]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for charleston

Charleston

A fast-paced dance, with elaborate arm movements, that became a craze in the United States during the 1920s.

Charleston

Two cities in the South: one a port city in southeastern South Carolina, the other the capital of West Virginia.

West Virginia

State in the southeastern United States bordered by Pennsylvania and Maryland to the north, Virginia to the east and south, and Kentucky and Ohio to the west. Its capital and largest city is Charleston.

Note

Separated from Virginia after Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861; it was granted statehood in 1863, during the Civil War.

Note

Ranks first in bituminous coal production, with about twenty percent of the nation's total.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.