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• tap dance
  tap dance

  noun

  a dance in which the rhythm or rhythmical variation is audibly tapped out with the toe or heel by a dancer wearing shoes with special hard soles or with taps.
• tap-dance
  tap-dance

  verb (used without object)

  to perform a tap dance.

tap dance

¹ American  

noun

tap dances plural

1. a dance in which the rhythm or rhythmical variation is audibly tapped out with the toe or heel by a dancer wearing shoes with special hard soles or with taps.

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tap-dance ² American  

[tap-dans, -dahns] / ˈtæpˌdæns, -ˌdɑns /

verb (used without object)

tap-danced, tap-dancing

1. to perform a tap dance.

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tap dance British  

noun

1. a step dance in which the performer wears shoes equipped with taps that make a rhythmic sound on the stage as he dances

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verb

1. to perform a tap dance

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tap-dancer
  noun
• tap-dancing
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tap dances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tap dance¹

Probably earlier than 1925–30

Origin of tap-dance²

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Watching Lyonne’s heroine tap dance away from strafing fire gets old pretty fast, but at least Johnson and his writers realize that.

From Salon • May 8, 2025

It's set in a sparse recreation of the community centre where eight-year-old Becky from Rotherham learned to tap dance.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2025

The 21-year-old from Chula Vista who came one round short of advancing to the knockout stages grew up in jazz and tap dance, but the disciplines got expensive.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2024

“I stopped when I retired, and I didn’t miss it. And now all of the sudden I have to go back to doing this little tap dance to please people.”

From New York Times • Jun. 16, 2023

Jones was seen to leap from his chair only to do a quick tap dance and sit down again.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck