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snake dance

or snake-dance

[ sneyk-dans ]
/ ˈsneɪk ˌdæns /
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noun Usually snake dance .
any ceremonial dance, such as that of the Hopi or Chickasaw people, in which snakes or representations of snakes are handled or imitated by the dancers.
a parade or procession, especially in celebration of a sports victory, in which the participants weave in single file in a serpentine course.Compare conga line (def. 3).
verb (used without object), snake danced, snake danc·ing.
to perform a snake dance.
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Origin of snake dance

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use snake dance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for snake dance

snake dance

noun
a ceremonial dance, performed by the priests of the American Hopi Indians, in which live snakes are held in the mouth
  1. the swaying movements of snakes responding to a snake charmer
  2. a Hindu dance in which performers imitate such snake movements
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
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