[syn: dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe]
3. skip, leap, or move up and down or sideways;
- Example: "Dancing flames"
- Example: "The children danced with joy"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.
[1913 Webster]
Thy grandsire loved thee well;
Many a time he danced thee on his knee. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
A man of his place, and so near our favor,
To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasure.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.
[1913 Webster]
Good shepherd, what fair swain is this
Which dances with your daughter? --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. To move nimbly or merrily; to express pleasure by motion;
to caper; to frisk; to skip about.
[1913 Webster]
Then, 'tis time to dance off. --Thackeray.
[1913 Webster]
More dances my rapt heart
Than when I first my wedded mistress saw. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Shadows in the glassy waters dance. --Byron.
[1913 Webster]
Where rivulets dance their wayward round.
--Wordsworth.
[1913 Webster]
To dance on a rope, or To dance on nothing, to be hanged.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The word dance was used ironically, by the older
writers, of many proceedings besides dancing.
[1913 Webster]
Of remedies of love she knew parchance
For of that art she couth the olde dance.
--Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
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]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
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, dance, 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: dance, 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"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
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
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:
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).
The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):
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.