jitterbug
[ jit-er-buhg ]
/ ˈdʒɪt ərˌbʌg /
noun
a strenuously acrobatic dance consisting of a few standardized steps augmented by twirls, splits, somersaults, etc., popular especially in the early 1940s and performed chiefly to boogie-woogie and swing.
a person who dances the jitterbug.
verb (used without object), jit·ter·bugged, jit·ter·bug·ging.
to dance the jitterbug.
RELATED CONTENT
From The Waltz To The Jitterbug: How Classic Dances Got Their NamesAs you may suspect, the term “ballroom dancing” originates with the word “ball.” But what you may not know is that “ball” comes from the Latin word ballare, which means “to dance.” So what about all those dances performed in the ballroom? How did they get their names? The waltz The waltz is now considered a harmless, traditional type of ballroom dancing. But in 1825, it …
Related formsjit·ter·bug·ger, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for jitterbug
British Dictionary definitions for jitterbug
jitterbug
/ (ˈdʒɪtəˌbʌɡ) /
noun
a fast jerky American dance, usually to a jazz accompaniment, that was popular in the 1940s
a person who dances the jitterbug
a highly nervous or excitable person
verb -bugs, -bugging or -bugged
(intr) to perform such a 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
Word Origin and History for jitterbug
jitterbug
popular type of fast swing dance, 1938, American English, from "Jitter Bug," title of a song recorded by Cab Calloway in 1934. Probably the literal sense is "one who has the jitters" (see jitters; also cf. bug (n.)). Another sense current about this time was "swing music enthusiast." As a verb from 1938.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper