a social dance, in quadruple meter, performed by couples, characterized by various combinations of slow and quick steps.
a pace, as of a horse, consisting of a series of short steps, as in slackening from a trot to a walk.
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75
First recorded in 1915–20
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Emanating from its doors late at night was music fit for the waltz, fox trot, tango and more.
From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2023
This fox trot was an essay on enduring female friendship, with the balance of power shuttling seamlessly between the two women.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 19, 2021
Taking on twisting, scenic routes in a nimble sports car with a manual transmission can feel like a masterful fox trot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2018
March 9; beginning-intermediate fox trot and swing dance lesson, 7 p.m., dance team performances and dancing, 8-10 p.m.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2018
The pony, leaving a long furrow in the side of the mountain, caught himself on the narrow ledge of a cattle trail, turned to the left, and disappeared at a little fox trot.
From The Rules of the Game by White, Stewart Edward
How many dancers compete in the fox-trot or tango competitions?
From Textbooks ● Dec. 1, 2021
He seemed “like a fox-trot man caught in a rock-and-roll culture,” New York Times reporter R.W.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 28, 2019
In the end, Mr. Pomfret concludes, the two nations “will successfully fox-trot, albeit clumsily” and the relationship will lurch ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2016
It is a rare luxury to be able to turn to the scorers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and watch them fox-trot past defenders and bury 28-foot jumpers.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2016
So, long story short, Chuck Parson kept me from ever dancing the fox-trot, which doesn’t seem like a particularly horrible thing to do to a sixth-grader.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
After that the 60 youthful guests fox-trotted sedately about the huge East Room, occasionally frisked a bit more gayly to rumbas and congas.
From Time Magazine Archive
People who fox-trotted to Tommy Dorsey now outnumber those who hip-hop to Cyndi Lauper; for the first time in history, there are more Americans over 65 than there are teenagers.
From Time Magazine Archive
While they fox-trotted at a benefit ball, the U.S.
From Time Magazine Archive
He signaled the scarlet-coated Marine Band to strike up Hello, Dolly!, fox-trotted with more than a dozen partners.
From Time Magazine Archive
We fox-trotted all the way around the seal tank, and still the song kept going on about the stars falling.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
Egurrola shared video and photos of the intruder fox-trotting away on Facebook.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2023
It fares no better on the merits, fox-trotting around an insurmountable Supreme Court precedent strictly limiting recusal that dooms the whole endeavor.
From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2023
Don't these folks know they're fox-trotting on the edge of a volcano?
From Time Magazine Archive
Cancers dissolve, romance blooms anew; fox-trotting arthritics turn into disco dervishes.
From Time Magazine Archive
While the music was still going on I stole out to reconnoitre and saw the two of them fox-trotting round the kitchen like a couple of happy children, just loving the music.
From Over Here Impressions of America by a British officer by MacQuarrie, Hector
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
