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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

The merry-making consists mainly in the performance, beneath some noble trees, of the old country-dance of Sir Roger de Coverley, by a party of rustics.

From The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 3, October, 1851 by Various

Miss Linton," he exclaimed, seizing her hand fervently—they were seated on a sofa in the back drawing-room, while the others were labouring through a country-dance in the front—"Miss Linton, hear me for a moment.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Vol. 9 by Various

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

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

On its website, Borderline is described as “Ventura County’s largest country dance hall and live music venue . . . a haven for country line dancing folks of all ages.”

From Washington Post ● Nov. 8, 2018

Her five-piece band performed faithful versions of her songs off “Rainbow” — tunes that are a mix of rock, country, dance and singer-songwriter confessionals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2017

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

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes