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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 sun shone upon the spangled dresses of the performers, and their evolutions were about as inspiriting and appropriate as a country-dance in a family vault. 

From Sketches by Boz, illustrative of everyday life and every-day people by Dickens, Charles

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 Stephens, Robert Neilson

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 Edgeworth, Maria

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 Austen-Leigh, William

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

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

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