square dance

¹ American  

noun

1. a dance by a set of four couples arranged in a square or in some set form.

2. hoedown.

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square-dance ² American  

[skwair-dans, -dahns] / ˈskwɛərˌdæns, -ˌdɑns /

verb (used without object)

square-danced, square-dancing

1. to perform or participate in a square dance.

2. to participate in a hoedown.

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square dance British  

noun

1. any of various formation dances, such as a quadrille, in which the couples form squares

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verb

1. (intr) to perform such a dance

Other Word Forms

• square dancer noun
• square dancing noun
• square-dancer noun

Etymology

Origin of square dance¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Origin of square-dance²

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Then he led a large group in the “casino circle,” a sort of Latin square dance that originated in Havana in the 1950s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Square dancing: By my count, around 30 states have official dances, and around 25 of those states have chosen square dance, including Washington.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2022

Smith made her stage debut during her senior year of high school at a local square dance, where she earned $3 for performing a cover of the pop standard “My Happiness.”

From New York Times • Aug. 19, 2021

For example, Maryland and Virginia are among at least 20 states honoring milk as their state beverage, square dance as their official folk dance and butterflies as their state insects.

From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2018

Behind me the radio plays square dance music from the Maritimes, Don Messer and His Islanders, in preparation for the six o’clock news.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood