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• country-dance
  country-dance

  noun

  a dance of rural English origin in which the dancers form circles or squares or in which they face each other in two rows.
• country dance
  country dance

  noun

  a type of folk dance in which couples are arranged in sets and perform a series of movements, esp facing one another in a line

country-dance

American  

[kuhn-tree-dans, -dahns] / ˈkʌn triˌdæns, -ˌdɑns /

noun

1. a dance of rural English origin in which the dancers form circles or squares or in which they face each other in two rows.

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country dance British  

noun

1. a type of folk dance in which couples are arranged in sets and perform a series of movements, esp facing one another in a line

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Other Word Forms

• country dancing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of country-dance

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

country-dance country dance

Courses are as varied as English country-dance, the presidency and genealogy on the computer.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was not quadrille dancing, nor minuet dancing, nor even country-dance dancing.

From The Battle of Life by Charles Dickens

This arrangement seemed to promise a country-dance, but when the music began, Dick found that a form of minuet was intended.

From The Road to Paris by Robert Neilson Stephens

Now, sir, as we have here English, Scotch, and Irish dancers, we can have the English country-dance, the Scotch reel, and the Irish jig.

From Tales and Novels — Volume 08 by Maria Edgeworth

You are thrown on your back immediately, the conversation is stopped like a country-dance by those who do not know the figure.

From Hazlitt on English Literature An Introduction to the Appreciation of Literature by Jacob Zeitlin

The 16-year-old has enjoyed the country dance style since she was seven, following in the footsteps of her mum, grandmother and great-grandmother.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2025

Live music shall fill the cozy Ballard tavern once more when Midnight Suns kick off the bar’s Tuesday country dance night.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 24, 2021

Paulina and I watched couples take part in an English country dance.

From New York Times ● Sep. 12, 2013

“The country dance community is very strong, very united,” Dunn said.

From Los Angeles Times

At this country dance Johnny for the first time saw Rab move suddenly into action.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes