tap dance

¹ American  

noun

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

• tap-dancer noun
• tap-dancing noun

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

Arriving on stage in a sparkly tuxedo dress, she rearranged her hits Espresso and Please Please Please in a jazzy big band style, and even delivered a fleet-footed tap dance sequence.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2025

This is a musical that treasures goofy imperfection, a scene where McInnerny does a funny little tap dance, or the joy in Shannon’s hyena cackle.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024

In a talk illustrated with rare tap dance footage, she’ll contextualize the work of some of the great Black tap dancers of the 1930s and ’40s, many of whom went unacknowledged in film credits.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2023

My tap dance lessons ended over a year ago, and I’m not sure how much I’ll remember.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan