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hoedown

American  
[hoh-doun] / ˈhoʊˌdaʊn /

noun

  1. a community dancing party typically featuring folk and square dances accompanied by lively hillbilly tunes played on the fiddle.

  2. the hillbilly or country music typical of a hoedown.


hoedown British  
/ ˈhəʊˌdaʊn /

noun

  1. a boisterous square dance

  2. a party at which hoedowns are danced

"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

Etymology

Origin of hoedown

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; hoe + down 1

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.

Beyoncé has never sounded more southern as she sings, "It's a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown."

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2024

The tune could be a toe-tapping Appalachian hoedown.

From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2023

Ostensibly a backwoods hoedown, “Rag Mama Rag” is a prime example of Robertson and the Band as American music alchemists.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2023

In this reading, though, it sometimes threatened to founder on the exaggerated, slowed-down drama of its ­quiet passages, before whiplashing abruptly into what sounded like a hoedown projected in a funhouse mirror. 

From Washington Post • Sep. 28, 2017

“Yee haw! There’s a gonna be a hoedown at the trailer park!” the Colonel said.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green