country-dance

[ kuhn-tree-dans, -dahns ]

/ ˈkʌn triˌdæns, -ˌdɑns /

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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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of country-dance

First recorded in 1570–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use country-dance in a sentence

A country-dance was called, and the epicier claimed the fair hand of the gentle Adele.
Night and Morning, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Gertrude was standing beside him—they were going to be partners in a country-dance, which was a favourite of Ted's.
A Christmas Child|Mrs. Molesworth
Madam, there's a country dance to the trifle that I sung to-day; your hand, and we'll lead it up.
The Beaux-Stratagem|George Farquhar
Alliances are made and broken as if in a country dance; the English called in, now by this one, now by the other.
Familiar Studies of Men and Books|Robert Louis Stevenson

The women met in sewing and quilting bees and apple-parings; the men came for the evening meal and remained for the country dance.
Wisconsin in Story and Song;|Various

British Dictionary definitions for 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

Derived forms of country dance

country dancing, noun

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