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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

Elizabeth played one country-dance, Lady Bridges the other, which she made Henry dance with her, and Miss Finch played the Boulangeries.

From Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters A Family Record by William Austen-Leigh

The fiddler was playing some sort of country-dance and all the company, except the very old people, were dancing and singing, some of the men indulging in most wonderful steps and capers.

From Chateau and Country Life in France by Mary Alsop King Waddington

While dancing with her in a country-dance one evening at her house, she exclaimed, on hearing a sudden sonorous twang, "Dear me! there is one of the chords of my harp snapped."

From Records of a Girlhood by Fanny Kemble

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

From The Battle of Life by Charles Dickens

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

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

FRI Zydeco dance lesson, 7:15 p.m., blues, swing, zydeco, Cajun, country dance for all ages with DJ, 8-11 p.m.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 18, 2018

They were there to dance the forró, a rustic country dance from northeastern Brazil that has fired the romantic imaginations of Parisians young and old, at a weekly gathering devoted to the dance.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2010

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

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes