Dance

7 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Dance \Dance\, n. [F. danse, of German origin. See {Dance}, v.
     i.]
     1. The leaping, tripping, or measured stepping of one who
        dances; an amusement, in which the movements of the
        persons are regulated by art, in figures and in accord
        with music.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Mus.) A tune by which dancing is regulated, as the
        minuet, the waltz, the cotillon, etc.
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     Note: The word dance was used ironically, by the older
           writers, of many proceedings besides dancing.
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                 Of remedies of love she knew parchance
                 For of that art she couth the olde dance.
                                                    --Chaucer.
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     {Dance of Death} (Art), an allegorical representation of the
        power of death over all, -- the old, the young, the high,
        and the low, being led by a dancing skeleton.
  
     {Morris dance}. See {Morris}.
  
     {To lead one a dance}, to cause one to go through a series of
        movements or experiences as if guided by a partner in a
        dance not understood.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Dance \Dance\, v. t.
     To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about, or up and
     down; to dandle.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind. --Shak.
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           Thy grandsire loved thee well;
           Many a time he danced thee on his knee.  --Shak.
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     {To dance attendance}, to come and go obsequiously; to be or
        remain in waiting, at the beck and call of another, with a
        view to please or gain favor.
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              A man of his place, and so near our favor,
              To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasure.
                                                    --Shak.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Dance \Dance\ (d[.a]ns), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Danced}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Dancing}.] [F. danser, fr. OHG. dans[=o]n to draw;
     akin to dinsan to draw, Goth. apinsan, and prob. from the
     same root (meaning to stretch) as E. thin. See {Thin}.]
     1. To move with measured steps, or to a musical
        accompaniment; to go through, either alone or in company
        with others, with a regulated succession of movements,
        (commonly) to the sound of music; to trip or leap
        rhythmically.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Jack shall pipe and Gill shall dance. --Wither.
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              Good shepherd, what fair swain is this
              Which dances with your daughter?      --Shak.
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     2. To move nimbly or merrily; to express pleasure by motion;
        to caper; to frisk; to skip about.
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              Then, 'tis time to dance off.         --Thackeray.
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              More dances my rapt heart
              Than when I first my wedded mistress saw. --Shak.
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              Shadows in the glassy waters dance.   --Byron.
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              Where rivulets dance their wayward round.
                                                    --Wordsworth.
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     {To dance on a rope}, or {To dance on nothing}, to be hanged.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  dance
       n 1: an artistic form of nonverbal communication
       2: a party of people assembled for dancing
       3: taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time
          to music [syn: {dancing}, {terpsichore}, {saltation}]
       4: a party for social dancing
       v 1: move in a graceful and rhythmical way; "The young girl
            danced into the room"
       2: move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or
          perform a dance; "My husband and I like to dance at home
          to the radio" [syn: {trip the light fantastic}, {trip the
          light fantastic toe}]
       3: skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways; "Dancing
          flames"; "The children danced with joy"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  292 Moby Thesaurus words for "dance":
     Charleston, Highland fling, Lambeth Walk, Mexican hat dance,
     Portland fancy, Virginia reel, Watusi, acid rock, allemande, antic,
     arabesque, assemblee, assembly, assignation, at home,
     avant-garde jazz, bal, bal costume, bal masque, ball, ballet,
     balletic, ballroom dancing, ballroom music, barn dance, beam, beat,
     beating, bebop, belly dance, bicker, bolero, boogaloo,
     boogie-woogie, bop, bourree, boutade, branle, brawl, breakdown,
     bunny hop, cakewalk, can-can, caper, caracole, carol, carry on,
     caucus, cavort, cha-cha, chasse, chirp, chirrup, chonchina,
     choreodrama, choreography, clap hands, classical ballet, clog,
     colloquium, comedy ballet, commission, committee, conclave,
     concourse, conga, congregation, congress, conventicle, convention,
     convocation, cotillion, council, country dance, country rock,
     coupe, courante, curvet, cut a dido, cut capers, cut up,
     dance drama, dance music, dances, dancing, date, delight, diet,
     disport, eisteddfod, exult, fan dance, fancy-dress ball, fandango,
     festivity, fete, flamenco, flap, flick, flicker, flickering,
     flickering light, fling, flip, flit, flitter, flop, flounce,
     flutter, fluttering, folk dance, folk rock, fool around, foot,
     foot it, forgathering, forum, fox trot, fox-trot, frisk, frolic,
     galliard, gambade, gambado, gambol, gathering, gavotte, german,
     get-together, glancing light, glory, glow, go pitapat, grapevine,
     gutter, hard rock, hokey-pokey, hoof, hoof it, hoofing,
     hootchy-kootchy, hop, hopak, hornpipe, horse around, hot jazz,
     housewarming, hover, hula, hula-hula, hustle, interpretative dance,
     jazz, jig, jive, joy, jubilate, kola, lambency, lancers, laugh,
     leap, levee, light show, lilt, limbo, lindy, mainstream jazz,
     mambo, mask, masked ball, masque, masquerade, masquerade ball,
     mazurka, meet, meeting, minuet, mixer, modern ballet, modern dance,
     monkey, musical suite, ox dance, pachanga, palpitate, palpitation,
     panel, party, pas, pas de deux, pas seul, paso doble, passamezzo,
     peabody, pitapat, pitter-patter, play, play of light, plenum,
     polka, polonaise, prance, prom, promenade, pulse, quadrille,
     quaver, quickstep, quiver, quivering, quorum, radiate cheer, rag,
     ragtime, rain dance, rally, reception, record hop, reel, rejoice,
     rendezvous, revel, rhythm-and-blues, rigadoon, rock, rock-and-roll,
     rollick, romp, rumba, samba, sashay, seance, session, shake,
     shimmy, shindig, shindy, shuffle, sing, sit-in, sitting, skip,
     skip for joy, slat, smile, snake dance, social, soiree, sparkle,
     splutter, sport, sputter, square dance, stag dance, step,
     strathspey, suite, suite of dances, swim, swing, sword dance,
     symposium, syncopated music, syncopation, synod, tango, tap dance,
     tap dancing, tap-dance, tarantella, tea dance, terpsichore,
     terpsichorean, the dansant, the new music, throb, tread, tremble,
     trepak, trip, truck, turkey trot, turnout, twist, valse, waltz,
     war dance, wave, waver, whistle, wobble
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Dance
     found in Judg. 21:21, 23; Ps. 30:11; 149:3; 150:4; Jer. 31:4,
     13, etc., as the translation of _hul_, which points to the
     whirling motion of Oriental sacred dances. It is the rendering
     of a word (rakad') which means to skip or leap for joy, in Eccl.
     3:4; Job 21:11; Isa. 13:21, etc.
     
       In the New Testament it is in like manner the translation of
     different Greek words, circular motion (Luke 15:25); leaping up
     and down in concert (Matt. 11:17), and by a single person (Matt.
     14:6).
     
       It is spoken of as symbolical of rejoicing (Eccl. 3:4. Comp.
     Ps. 30:11; Matt. 11: 17). The Hebrews had their sacred dances
     expressive of joy and thanksgiving, when the performers were
     usually females (Ex. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6).
     
       The ancient dance was very different from that common among
     Western nations. It was usually the part of the women only (Ex.
     15:20; Judg. 11:34; comp. 5:1). Hence the peculiarity of David's
     conduct in dancing before the ark of the Lord (2 Sam. 6:14). The
     women took part in it with their timbrels. Michal should, in
     accordance with the example of Miriam and others, have herself
     led the female choir, instead of keeping aloof on the occasion
     and "looking through the window." David led the choir
     "uncovered", i.e., wearing only the ephod or linen tunic. He
     thought only of the honour of God, and forgot himself.
     
       From being reserved for occasions of religious worship and
     festivity, it came gradually to be practised in common life on
     occasions of rejoicing (Jer. 31:4). The sexes among the Jews
     always danced separately. The daughter of Herodias danced alone
     (Matt. 14:6).
     

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  DANCE, v.i.  To leap about to the sound of tittering music, preferably
  with arms about your neighbor's wife or daughter.  There are many
  kinds of dances, but all those requiring the participation of the two
  sexes have two characteristics in common:  they are conspicuously
  innocent, and warmly loved by the vicious.