sword dance

American

noun

any of various dances, usually performed by men, in which swords are ceremonially flourished or are laid on the ground and danced around.

sword dance British

noun

a dance in which the performers dance nimbly over swords on the ground or brandish them in the air

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sword dance

First recorded in 1595–1605

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:

sword dance

That trip was highlighted by a mystifying photo op of the leaders gathered around a glowing orb and Trump briefly joining a ceremonial sword dance.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 15, 2022

As part of the celebration, men and boys were already updating a traditional sword dance with new break-dance moves.

From New York Times ● Apr. 24, 2022

Still, the U.S.-Saudi relationship is not going to be what it was, and not only because it’s harder to picture Biden doing a sword dance in Riyadh.

From Slate ● Nov. 29, 2020

Mr Trump appeared a little out of his comfort zone when he took part in a ceremonial sword dance during the trip.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2018

In any case, the system reminds me of an old Highlander's opening comment on a sword dance by a rock scorpion in a Tangier saloon.

From Pan-Islam by G. Wyman (George Wyman) Bury

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