quickstep

American

[kwik-step] / ˈkwɪkˌstɛp /

noun

(formerly) a lively step used in marching.
music adapted to such a march, or in a brisk march rhythm.
a lively step or combination of steps in ballroom dancing.

quickstep British

/ ˈkwɪkˌstɛp /

noun

a modern ballroom dance in rapid quadruple time
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

verb

(intr) to perform 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

Etymology

Origin of quickstep

First recorded in 1795–1805; quick + step

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:

quickstep

Feeling safe and among their own, they made many friends there while polishing off their tango and quickstep.

From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2023

Odudu, 33, scored her first perfect 40 for a quickstep during last Saturday's semi-final.

From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2021

Carrie Ann calls it “a little wild” and cautions him to watch his posture, but she likes that it had way more passion than you usually see in a quickstep.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 15, 2020

McKeon said she probably fractured the foot practicing "three weeks of quickstep" for last week's "DWTS" premiere.

From Fox News ● Oct. 2, 2018

We were spinning round in a double quickstep which tried even Uncle Nico's seasoned arm.

From Carette of Sark by John Oxenham

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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