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hula

American

[hoo-luh] / ˈhu lə /

noun

a sinuous Hawaiian dance with intricate arm movements that tell a story in pantomime, usually danced to rhythmic drumming and accompanied by chanting.

hula British

/ ˈhuːlə /

noun

a Hawaiian dance performed by a woman

"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 hula

Borrowed into English from Hawaiian around 1815–25

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:

hula

The deeper one analyzes it, the more sinister its class dynamics feel, even if it’s an excuse to showcase, say, street dancing and hula hoop acrobatics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025

Joan Anderson, who coined the name for the hula hoop and played an unsung role in its rise, has died age 101.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2025

Doris, who celebrated the victory with a hula dance, wore a flower behind her ear.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

He reveals that he sprained it while hula hooping and he even shows photos.

From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2023

We could have held a luau on that bus, with a roast pig and hula dancers, and he would have been none the wiser.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023