four-on-the-floor

American  

[fawr-on-thuh-flawr, fohr-on-thuh-flohr, -awn-] / ˈfɔr ɒn ðəˌflɔr, ˈfoʊr ɒn ðəˌfloʊr, -ɔn- /

noun

1. a four-speed manual transmission having the gearshift set into the floor.

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adjective

1. of or relating to such a transmission.

Etymology

Origin of four-on-the-floor

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Raddon ventures away from his standard four-on-the-floor house music and into broken beats on “Started Over.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

Joining that trio of singles are the radio-friendly tune the infectious, four-on-the-floor “Unfeel It” as well as her ballad title track.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 19, 2023

“Bad Bunny relished his unprecedented triumphs with a two-hour musical marathon, fashioning several reggaeton and trap numbers ... into four-on-the-floor house jams suited for a rave,” Exposito wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2023

It evolves from sparse piano notes and a subdued four-on-the-floor beat to full-scale, chord-pounding house, while Romy’s vocal rises into an ecstatic loop: “I love her, I love her.”

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2023

So I drive into town for my first date in two years in a red 1941 Chevrolet four-on-the-floor with a John Deere motor grader hooked behind me.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett