dada
[ dah-dah ]
/ ˈdɑ dɑ /
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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.
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Origin of dada
1915–20; <French: hobby horse, childish reduplication of da giddyap
OTHER WORDS FROM dada
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. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for dada
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 of Dada
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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