rain dance

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noun

(especially among American Indians) a ritualistic dance performed to bring rain.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

Origin of rain dance

First recorded in 1925–30

Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is a different sound for you.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Twelve-year-old dance prodigy Maddie Ziegler has suffered the wrath of Dance Moms tyrant Abby Lee Miller.
See Burly Shia LaBeouf Interpretive Cage Fight Lil Sia in the Singer’s Fantastic New Music Video|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And with the dance sequence, we wanted something very physical.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“My dance instructor always says she earns most of her income from private teaching,” says Monir.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Even for Arabic dance no one wears a long dress, just a scarf around the hips.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The moon seemed to smile on him; the aurora appeared to dance with unwonted vigour, as if in glee; the very stars winked at him!
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
She set off down Trafalgar Road in the mist and the rain, glad that she had been compelled to walk.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
The riches of the unjust shall be dried up like a river, and shall pass away with a noise like a great thunder in rain.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Aristide again sought the message of the stars; but the sky was clouded over, and soon a fine rain began to fall.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Dance-giving mammas were anxious to secure the success of their entertainments by obtaining the presence of "lovely Mrs. Haggard."
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills