dada
[ dah-dah ]
/ ˈdɑ dɑ /
noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
the style and techniques of a group of artists, writers, etc., of the early 20th century who exploited accidental and incongruous effects in their work and who programmatically challenged established canons of art, thought, morality, etc.
Nearby words
dad-blamed, dad-blasted, dad-burned, dad-gummed, dad-in-law, dada, dadah, dadd, daddah, daddy, daddy track
Origin of dada
1915–20; < French: hobby horse, childish reduplication of da giddyap
Related forms
da·da·ism, nounda·da·ist, nounda·da·is·tic, adjectiveda·da·is·ti·cal·ly, adverbDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for dadaism
Dada
Dadaism (ˈdɑːdɑːˌɪzəm)
/ (ˈdɑːdɑː) /
noun
a nihilistic artistic movement of the early 20th century in W Europe and the US, founded on principles of irrationality, incongruity, and irreverence towards accepted aesthetic criteria
Derived Forms
Dadaist, noun, adjectiveDadaistic, adjectiveDadaistically, adverbWord Origin for Dada
C20: from French, from a children's word for hobbyhorse, the name being arbitrarily chosen
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