Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

farandole

American  
[far-uhn-dohl, fa-rahn-dawl] / ˈfær ənˌdoʊl, fa rɑ̃ˈdɔl /

noun

farandoles plural
  1. a lively dance, of Provençal origin, in which all the dancers join hands and execute various figures.

  2. the music for this dance.


farandole British  
/ ˈfærənˌdəʊl, farɑ̃dɔl /

noun

  1. a lively dance in six-eight or four-four time from Provence

  2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of farandole

1860–65; < French < Provençal farandoulo, perhaps a conflation of b ( a ) randello with same sense, derivative of brandà to move, rock (< Germanic; see brandish) and flandrinà to dawdle, ultimately derivative of Flandres Flanders

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

After the lights went up, Lacroix joined the crowds and danced the farandole, the heels-up peasant dance of Provence.

From Time Magazine Archive

Said Archbishop Joachim Ndayen of the Central African Republic: "We didn't come thousands of kilometers to dance a farandole."

From Time Magazine Archive

It was a sort of enormous quadrille with numerous figures and farandole, while one sat on a chair between the figures, as at a cotillon.

From His Hour by Glyn, Elinor

Suddenly a long dancing line formed, a farandole, and it began to run and leap, growing at each twist and turn.

From The Enemies of Women (Los enemigos de la mujer) by Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente

The farandole was trying to enter the antechamber, and the gambling rooms, to wrap its coils about the crowd, the croupiers, and the tables.

From The Enemies of Women (Los enemigos de la mujer) by Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente

The other leaves, and then the harvesters continue their merry-making, with singing and farandoles, about a great bonfire in honor of Saint John.

From Frédéric Mistral Poet and Leader in Provence by Downer, Charles Alfred

Moreover, Sid'Omar's gold cushions were dancing fabulous farandoles round me and making sleep impossible….

From Letters from my Windmill by Daudet, Alphonse

Hither no doubt came often the son of Bernardone, leading one of those farandoles which you may see there to this day: from his very babyhood he was a prince among the children.

From Life of St. Francis of Assisi by Houghton, Louise Seymour

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training