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

Wilson learned tap dance and ballet and appeared on Broadway at just 4 years old.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

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

"I've always wanted to tap dance, and in my dotage perhaps it's something I could take up," said Queen Camilla, when she met Johannes Radebe from the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing show.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 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

G’ma’s fingers do a tap dance on the steering wheel, pulling him back into the present, and he takes a deep breath and lets his eyes continue to roam around the open space behind him.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone