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• Charleston
  Charleston

  noun

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

  noun

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

Charleston

¹ American  

[chahrlz-tuhn, chahrl-stuhn] / ˈtʃɑrlz tən, ˈtʃɑrl stən /

noun

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

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verb (used without object)

1. to dance the Charleston.

Charleston ² American  

[chahrlz-tuhn, chahrl-stuhn] / ˈtʃɑrlz tən, ˈtʃɑrl stən /

noun

1. a seaport in SE South Carolina.

2. a city in and the capital of West Virginia, in the W part.

3. a city in E central Illinois.

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Charleston ¹ British  

/ ˈtʃɑːlstən /

noun

1. a city in central West Virginia: the state capital. Pop: 51 394 (2003 est)

2. a port in SE South Carolina, on the Atlantic: scene of the first action in the Civil War. Pop: 101 024 (2003 est)

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charleston ² British  

/ ˈtʃɑːlstən /

noun

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

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Charleston ¹ Cultural  

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

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Charleston ² Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of Charleston

Named after Charleston, South Carolina

Example Sentences

New York City was the site of the second-largest disparity last year; Jacksonville and Tampa, both in Florda, came in third and fourth, respectively; and Charleston, S.C., came in fifth.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

The Charleston plant is operated by Volvo, which is controlled by Geely, and currently produces Volvo and Polestar models.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

During a late-March event held in Fairey’s hometown of Charleston, S.C.,

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Bradley Cobb, 47, a UPS driver and a preacher in Charleston, another county seat, said he, his wife and their voting-age children all support anti-prison candidates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

From New York to Charleston stretched all the way down my fingers to the palm.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Related Words

• disco
• samba
• tango
• waltz