YMCA

Young Men's Christian Association
w:Young Men's Christian Association

Initialism of Young Men's Christian Association.


robot

From German Robot, from a West Slavic language, ultimately related to Etymology 2, below.

“I say again, down with the robot!—he is a dog who yields it!”

1849, Littell's Living Age, volume 23, page 309:

Although the robot varied from region to region, it was rarely less than burdensome.

2007, Tim Blanning, The Pursuit of Glory, Penguin, published 2008, page 159:

(now historical) A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour.


robot

desc

→ Arabic: رُوبُوت (rūbūt), رُوبُوط (rūbūṭ)

→ Hindi: रोबोट (roboṭ)

→ Japanese: ロボット (robotto)

→ Korean: 로봇 (robot)

→ Persian: رُبات (robât), روبات (rôbât)

→ Swahili: roboti

→ Welsh: robot

Internet Archive
Josef Čapek
Karel Čapek
R.U.R.

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”). Coined in the 1920 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek after having been suggested to him by his brother Josef, and taken into English without change.

(South Africa) A traffic light (from earlier robot policeman).

(dance) A style of dance popular in disco in which the dancer imitates the stiff movements of a stereotypical android robot.


robot

From English robot, from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”). Coined in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek after having been suggested to him by his brother Josef.

a style of dance popular in disco whereby the dancer impersonates the movement of a robot


port

head

port m (genitive singular poirt, nominative plural poirt)

poirt (genitive singular)
poirt (nominative plural)
nominative (indefinite)
port (indefinite singular)
poirt (indefinite plural)
vocative (indefinite)
a phoirt (indefinite singular)
a phorta (indefinite plural)
genitive (indefinite)
poirt (indefinite singular)
port (indefinite plural)
dative (indefinite)
nominative (definite)
an port (definite singular)
na poirt (definite plural)
genitive (definite)
an phoirt (definite singular)
na bport (definite plural)
dative (definite)
leis an bport (definite singular)
don phort (definite singular)
leis na poirt (definite plural)

→⇒ Yola: portlaghrin


star

Sranan Tongo: stari
Aukan: sitali

→ Finnish: stara

→ French: star

→ German: Star

→ Italian: star

→ Swahili: staa

From Middle English sterre, from Old English steorra (“star”), from Proto-West Germanic *sterrō, variant of *sternō, from Proto-Germanic *sternô, *sternǭ (“star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (“star”). Doublet of aster, stella, étoile, and estoile.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots starn, ster, North Frisian steer, West Frisian stjer, Saterland Frisian Stiern, Dutch ster, Luxembourgish Stär, German Stern, Yiddish שטערן (shtern), Vilamovian śtaom, Swedish stjärna, Norwegian stjerne, Icelandic stjarna, Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉 (stairnō), Spanish estrella, Portuguese estrela, Italian stella, Romanian stea, Occitan estela, Venetan stéła, Sicilian stidda, Sardinian isteddu, Mirandese streilha, Walloon sitoele, Romansch staila, Megleno-Romanian steau̯ă, Istriot stila, Istro-Romanian ste, Latin stēlla, Greek αστέρι (astéri), Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr), Old Armenian աստղ (astł), Persian ستاره (setâre), Tajik ситора (sitora), Pashto ستوری (storay), Mazanderani اساره (ëssâre), Northern Kurdish stêr, Central Kurdish ئەستێرە (estêre), Zazaki astare, Ossetian стъалы (st’aly), Hindi तारा (tārā), Urdu تارا (tārā), Punjabi ਤਾਰਾ (tārā), Gujarati તારો (tāro), Sanskrit तारा (tārā).

аеҵǝа

a celestial body appearing as a point of light on the clear night sky, whose position is relatively fixed with respect to each other

A simple dance, or part of a dance, where a group of four dancers each put their right or left hand in the middle and turn around in a circle. You call them right-hand stars or left-hand stars, depending on the hand which is in the middle.


belly dance

en-noun

belly dance (countable and uncountable, plural belly dances)

Calque of French danse du ventre, equivalent to belly + dance. First attested in English in 1889, in an article about that year's Exposition Universelle in Paris in the November 22 edition of the Yorkshire Factory Times: "A café in the Rue du Caire attracted 2,000 spectators daily to see the ‘belly dance’, and realised a total of 400,000 francs." Early sources also used the French term danse du ventre as-is.

A form of dance originating in the Middle East and characterized by movements of the torso.


helicopter

→ Amharic: ሄሊኮፕተር (helikoptär)

→ Cebuano: helikopter

→ Malay: helikopter

→ Tagalog: helikopter

/ˈhɛlɪˌkɑptɜɹ/

Borrowed from French hélicoptère, from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “spiral”) + πτερόν (pterón, “wing”). Doublet of helicopteron. By surface analysis, helico- + -pter. The dragonfly sense is from a dragonfly's ability to hover and fly in any direction, like the flying machine.

af

(dance) A breakdance move in which the dancer spins on the floor while extending the legs to resemble the blades of a helicopter.


salsa

en-noun

salsa (countable and uncountable, plural salsas)

→ Mongolian: салса (salsa)

Borrowed from Spanish salsa (“sauce”), from Latin salsus (“salted”), whence also the doublet sauce (via Old French).

(countable, dance) Any of several dances performed to salsa music.


salsa

Inherited from Old Catalan salsa, from Vulgar Latin *salsa, a noun based on the feminine of Latin salsus (“salted”), perfect passive participle of salīre, a verb based on sāl.


salsa

any of several dances performed to salsa music


salsa

salsa (nominative singular)
salsy (nominative plural)
salsy (genitive singular)
sals (genitive plural)
salse (dative singular)
salsám (dative plural)
salsu (accusative singular)
salsy (accusative plural)
salso (singular vocative)
salsy (plural vocative)
salse (locative singular)
salsách (locative plural)
salsou (instrumental singular)
salsami (instrumental plural)


salsa

desctree

→ Greek: σάλτσα (sáltsa)
→ Ottoman Turkish: صالچه (salça)
Turkish: salça

→ Ottoman Turkish: صالسه (salsa)

From Vulgar Latin *salsa, noun use of the feminine of Latin salsus (“salted”), from saliō, from sal.


salsa

salsa (nominative singular)
salsy (nominative plural)
salsy (genitive singular)
sals (genitive plural)
salsie (dative singular)
salsom (dative plural)
salsę (accusative singular)
salsy (accusative plural)
salsą (instrumental singular)
salsami (instrumental plural)
salsie (locative singular)
salsach (locative plural)
salso (singular vocative)
salsy (plural vocative)

Borrowed from Spanish salsa, from Latin salsus (“salted”). Doublet of sos (“sauce”).


salsa

→ Cebuano: salsa

→ Dutch: salsa

→ English: salsa

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *salsa, noun use of the feminine of Latin salsus (“salted”), from saliō, from sal.


salsa

Borrowed from Spanish salsa, from Latin salsus (“salted”). Doublet of sarsa.


seguidilla

rural northern Spain, Andes Mountains, Paraguay, Philippines

From deminutive of seguida (“sequence”) with affix -illa.

a lively, triple-time, Spanish tune and dance; a seguidilla


bal

balik (diminutive)
bal (nominative singular)
bale (nominative plural)
balu (genitive singular)
bali (genitive plural)
balowi (dative singular)
balom (dative plural)
bal (accusative singular)
bale (accusative plural)
balem (instrumental singular)
balami (instrumental plural)
balu (locative singular)
balach (locative plural)
balu (singular vocative)
bale (plural vocative)

→ Silesian: bŏl

Borrowed from French bal. First attested in 1665–1683.

ref

Paweł Kupiszewski (13.06.2024) “BAL”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]


bal

bal (nominative singular)
bale (nominative plural)
balu (genitive singular)
bali (genitive plural)
balowi (dative singular)
balom (dative plural)
bal (accusative singular)
bale (accusative plural)
balem (instrumental singular)
balami (instrumental plural)
balu (locative singular)
balach (locative plural)
balu (singular vocative)
bale (plural vocative)

bale (rounded bundle or package of goods in a cloth cover, and corded for storage or transportation, ten reams)


canary

en-noun

canary (countable and uncountable, plural canaries)

From French canarie, from Spanish canario, from the Latin Canariae insulae (“Canary Islands”) (Spanish Islas Canarias); from the largest island Insula Canaria (“Dog Island" or "Canine Island”), named for its dogs, from canārius (“canine”), from canis (“dog”).

der

(computing) A change that is tested by being rolled out first to a subset of machines or users before rolling out to all.

In an other corner, Mistris Minx, a marchants wife, that will eate no cherries, forsooth, but when they are at twentie shillings a pound, that lookes as simperingly as if she were besmeard, and iets it as gingerly as if she were dancing the canaries, […]

1592, Thomas Nash[e], Pierce Penilesse His Supplication to the Deuill. […], London: […] [John Charlewood for] Richard Ihones, […], →OCLC:

[…] I haue ſeen a medicine / That's able to breath life into a ſtone, / Quicken a rocke, and make you dance Canari / With ſprightly fire and motion, […]

c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 235, column 2:

A lively dance, possibly of Spanish origin (also called canaries).


jerk

Probably from Middle English yerk (“sudden motion”) and Middle English yerkid (“tightly pulled”), from Old English ġearc (“ready, active, quick”) and Old English ġearcian (“to prepare, make ready, procure, furnish, supply”). Cognate with Scots yerk (“to jerk”). Related also to English yare (“ready”).

inh

Because oral sex deprecation and anti-gay bias both have long histories among humans

many of the words for "contemptible person" come from literal terms for anyone who performs oral sex or performs anal sex; see overlap at Thesaurus:gay man

Girls, hey, what's that you're doing
Girl, girl, what's that you're doing
You got to show me the steps to it
Somehow, gonna learn how to do it
Doing the jerk
Hey, do the jerk
Girl, come on and work
Hey, do the jerk.

1964, “The Jerk”, Don Julian (lyrics), performed by The Larks:

(preceded by definite article) A dance, popular in Western culture in the 1960s, in which the head and upper body is thrown forwards regularly to the beat of the music.


dada

a dance where the feet are made to imitate the beating of a drum


hay

From Middle English haye, heye, a conflation of Old English heġe (“hedge, fence”) and Old English ġehæġ (“an enclosed piece of land”).

My men like Satyres grazing on the lawnes,
Shall with their Goate feete daunce an antick hay,

1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

I’ll make one in a dance, or so; or I will play
On the tabour to the Worthies, and let them dance the hay.

c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:


shake

en-verb

shake (third-person singular simple present shakes, present participle shaking, simple past shook or (rare) shaked or (slang) shooketh, past participle shaken or (dialectal) shook)

shakes (present singular third-person)
shaking (participle present)
shook (past)
shaked (past rare)
shooketh (past slang)
shaken (participle past)
shook (dialectal participle past)

From Middle English schaken, from Old English sċeacan, sċacan (“to shake”), from Proto-West Germanic *skakan, from Proto-Germanic *skakaną (“to shake, swing, escape”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)keg-, *(s)kek- (“to jump, move”).
Cognate with Scots schake, schack (“to shake”), West Frisian schaekje (“to shake”), Dutch schaken (“to elope, make clean, shake”), Low German schaken (“to move, shift, push, shake”) and schacken (“to shake, shock”), Old Norse skaka (“to shaka”), Norwegian Nynorsk skaka (“to shake”), Swedish skaka (“to shake”), Danish skage (“to shake”), Dutch schokken (“to shake, shock”), Russian скака́ть (skakátʹ, “to jump”). More at shock.

cog

She was shaking it on the dance floor.


shake

en-noun

shake (countable and uncountable, plural shakes)

Most of the fission energy was released in the last few generations, so if the device blew itself apart before about fifty-seven shakes had elapsed, […]

2003, Ruth H. Howes, Caroline L. Herzenberg, Their Day in the Sun: Women of the Manhattan Project (page 97)

(historical, nuclear physics) An informal unit of time equal to 10 nanoseconds.


swim

From Middle English swymmen, from Old English swimman (“to swim, float”) (class III strong verb; past tense swamm, past participle geswummen), from Proto-West Germanic *swimman, from Proto-Germanic *swimmaną (“to swoon, lose consciousness, swim”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bʰ)- (“to be unsteady, move, swim”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots sweem, soom (“to swim”), Saterland Frisian swimme (“to swim”), West Frisian swimme (“to swim, float”), Dutch zwemmen (“to swim”), German schwimmen (“to swim”), Norwegian Bokmål and Danish svømme (“to swim”), Swedish simma (“to swim”), Norwegian Nynorsk symja (“to swim”).

der

C'mon everybody! C'mon in!
Bobby's goin' to show you how to do the swim.

1964, “C'mon and Swim”, Thomas Coman and Sylvester Stewart (Sly Stone) (lyrics), performed by Bobby Freeman:

A dance or dance move of the 1960s in which the arms are moved in imitation of various swimming strokes, such as freestyle, breaststroke, etc.


float

en-verb

float (third-person singular simple present floats, present participle floating, simple past and past participle floated)

floats (present singular third-person)
floating (participle present)
floated (participle past)
floated (past)

From Middle English floten, from Old English flotian (“to float”), from Proto-West Germanic *flotōn, from Proto-Germanic *flutōną (“to float”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewd-, *plew- (“to float, swim, fly”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian flotje (“to float”), West Frisian flotsje (“to float”), Dutch vlotten (“to float”), Middle Low German vloten, vlotten (“to float, swim”), German flötzen, flößen (“to float”), Swedish flotta (“to float”), Icelandic fljóta, Old English flēotan (“to float, swim”), Ancient Greek πλέω (pléō), Lithuanian plaukti, Russian пла́вать (plávatʹ). Compare flow, fleet.

ভাসানো

to cause something to be suspended in a liquid of greater density

(intransitive, aviation) To remain airborne, without touching down, for an excessive length of time during landing, due to excessive airspeed during the landing flare.

leijua

aviation: to remain airborne for an excessive length of time during landing


fly

From Middle English flye (“flying, flight”), from Old English flyge (“flying, flight”), from Proto-Germanic *flugiz.

дюкян

strip that hides the opening of trousers/pants or underpants

Edward H[enry] Knight
w:Edward H. Knight

In a knitting machine, the piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch.


chicken

en-adj

chicken (comparative more chicken, superlative most chicken)

more chicken (comparative)
most chicken (superlative)

From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn (“chicken”), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn, equivalent to cock + -en.
Compare North Frisian schückling (“chicken”), Saterland Frisian Sjuuken (“chicken”), Dutch kuiken (“chick, chicken”), German Low German Küken (“chick”), whence German Küken (“chick”), (elevated, obsolete) German Küchlein (“chick”) and Old Norse kjúklingr (“chicken”).

Why do you refuse to fight? Huh, I guess you're just too chicken.

(informal, sometimes derogatory) Cowardly.


dump

From Middle English dumpen, dompen, probably from Old Norse dumpa (“to thump”) (whence Danish dumpe (“to fall suddenly”)), of uncertain origin, possibly imitative of falling, similar to thump.

onomatopoeic

imitative

They see not what passes before their eyes; hear not the audible discourse of the company; and when by any strong application to them they are roused a little, they are like men brought to themselves from some remote region […]. The shame that such dumps cause to well-bred people, when it carries them away from the company, where they should bear a part of the conversation, is a sufficient argument that it is a fault in the conduct of our understanding, not to have that power over it as to make use of it to those purposes, and on those occasions, wherein we have need of its assistance.

a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC, § 45, page 125:

The back of this display is constructed of a double row of cans which are interlocking. The double row is significant because it provides a source of stock to replenish the dump which will be located in the base of the stand.

1958, Milton Alexander, Display ideas for super markets, page 211:

Mass displays to move goods in bulk are dotted here and there throughout the store, particularly at the ends of the gondolas, and considerable use is made of dump displays.

1959, Agenda: Co-operative Management Magazine - Volumes 7-8, page 68:

Although they may have a lot of clutter in promotional cardboard dump displays, that factor is likely to change.

1985, Product Marketing for Beauty Industry Retailers & Manufacturers:

I remember that Bill made a little cardboard dump, with boots and a whip, for the bookstore displays, and the people in the chain stores were so outraged by this dump they threw it in the trash.

1996, Anne Rice, Michael Riley, Interview with Anne Rice, page 76:

(marketing) A temporary display case that holds many copies of an item being sold.


dump

en-verb

dump (third-person singular simple present dumps, present participle dumping, simple past and past participle dumped)

dumps (present singular third-person)
dumping (participle present)
dumped (participle past)
dumped (past)

→ French: domper

onomatopoeic

imitative

Blowing like a grampus from every orifice, I leaned on a passing wave which dumped me[.]

1980, Ian Chappell, Chappelli has the last laugh, page 39:

(transitive, Australia) Of a surf wave, to crash a swimmer, surfer, etc., heavily downwards.


ballroom

en-verb

ballroom (third-person singular simple present ballrooms, present participle ballrooming, simple past and past participle ballroomed)

ballrooms (present singular third-person)
ballrooming (participle present)
ballroomed (participle past)
ballroomed (past)

(intransitive) To take part in ballroom dancing.


monkey

en-noun

monkey (plural monkeys or (obsolete) monkies)

monkeys (plural)
monkies (obsolete plural)

→ Chukchi: маӈкы (maṇky)

→ Coeur d'Alene: moonki

→ Irish: moncaí

→ Navajo: mágí

→ Scottish Gaelic: muncaidh

→ Tumbuka: munkhwele

→ Welsh: mwnci

Uncertain. May be derived from monk + -ey (diminutive suffix), or borrowed from Middle Low German Moneke, the name of the son of Martin the Ape in Reynard the Fox (which may represent an unattested colloquial Middle Low German *moneke, *moneken), itself of uncertain origin. Possibly derived from a Romance term represented by Late Middle French monne (whence Modern French mone (“monkey”)) or earlier Old French monnekin (“monkey”), originally Monnekin, the name of a monkey in Li Dis d'Entendement. Compare also Old French and Middle French monin (“monkey”). The French terms may have been borrowed from Italian monna (“monkey”), from Old Spanish mona (“female monkey”), itself a shortening of mamona, variant of maimón, from Arabic مَيْمُون (maymūn, “baboon”)). However, Old French monnekin may alternatively be unrelated to the other terms, instead being a borrowing of Early Middle Dutch mannekin (a diminutive of a personal name or surname; hence, nickname, literally “miniature man”).

gl

whence Modern French <i class="Latn mention" lang="fr">mone</i> (“monkey”)

der

cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

you can take the monkey out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the monkey

No, no, no, not you. I want to talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey.

dancing to another's tune
dance to someone's tune

(figurative, generally derogatory) A human considered to resemble monkeys in some way, including:

(slang, derogatory) Synonym of puppet: a person dancing to another's tune, a person controlled or directed by another.

puppet

A thousandth of a million squid or two monkeys
Or a whole fifty scores

2004, The Streets (lyrics and music), “It Was Supposed to Be So Easy”, in A Grand Don’t Come for Free:

(slang) Synonym of five hundred, especially (British) 500 pounds sterling or (US, dated) 500 dollars.

five hundred

Do the Monkey, yeah,
Do the Monkey, yeah,
Ah, twist them hips,
Let your backbone slip,
Now move your feet,
Get on the beat...

1963, Curtis Mayfield, "The Monkey Time" (video)

C'mon everybody! C'mon in!
Bobby's goin' to show you how to do the swim.
Kinda like the monkey, kinda like the twist
Pretend you're in the water and you go like this.

Do the monkey, do the pony / Do the slop, do the boogaloo twist.

1971, “Suicide Song”, in Loudon Wainwright III (lyrics), Album II, performed by Loudon Wainwright III:

...Used to the do the monkey
But now it's not cool...

(dance) A dance popularized by Major Lance in 1963, now usually only its upper-body dance move involving exaggerated drumming motions.


worm

From Middle English worm, werm, wurm, wirm, from Old English wyrm (“worm, snake”), from Proto-Germanic *wurmiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis, possibly from *wer- (“to turn”). Doublet of vermin and wyrm, the latter of which is a fairly recent borrowing directly from the Old English.
(computing): First computer usage by John Brunner in his 1975 book The Shockwave Rider.
cognates
Germanic cognates include Dutch worm, West Frisian wjirm, German Wurm, Swedish orm (“snake”), Norwegian Nynorsk orm (“earthworm or snake”), Danish orm and Yiddish וואָרעם (vorem).
Indo-European cognates include Latin vermis (“worm”), Lithuanian var̃mas (“insect, midge”), Albanian rrime (“rainworm”), Ancient Greek ῥόμος (rhómos, “woodworm”).

шнек

something helical, especially the thread of a screw

(preceded by definite article) A dance, or dance move, in which the dancer lies on the floor and undulates the body horizontally thereby moving forwards.


flamenco

en-noun

flamenco (countable and uncountable, plural flamencos)

/fləˈmɛŋkəʊ/

From Spanish flamenco, from Middle Dutch vlaminc (“Fleming”) (> Dutch Vlaming).

La Niña was so goddam terrific that after a month of singing with the vocal trio, she was singing solo and she was dancing a flamenco better'n a gypsy fireball!

1977, Tennessee Williams, Vieux Carré, I.3:

(countable) A song or dance performed in such a style.


flamenco

Unadapted borrowing from Spanish flamenco. Doublet of Flamand.

ubor

flamenco (genre of folk music and dance native to Andalusia, Spain)


flamenco

es-adj

flamenco (feminine flamenca, masculine plural flamencos, feminine plural flamencas)

flamenca (feminine)
flamencos (masculine plural)
flamencas (feminine plural)


flamenco

es-noun

flamenco m (plural flamencos, feminine flamenca, feminine plural flamencas)

flamencos (plural)
flamenca (feminine)
flamencas (feminine plural)


flamenco

Flemish (the standard variety of Dutch used in Belgium)

Flemish (a group of Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium)


step

step (nominative singular)
stepy (nominative plural)
stepu (genitive singular)
stepů (genitive plural)
stepu (dative singular)
stepům (dative plural)
step (accusative singular)
stepy (accusative plural)
stepe (singular vocative)
stepy (plural vocative)
stepu (locative singular)
stepech (locative plural)
stepem (instrumental singular)
stepy (instrumental plural)


quickstep

Miss Esler and Mr. McMorrow went to Kalgoorlie to adjudicate at the goldfields waltz and quickstep championships, and found the standard of dancing surprisingly high.

1938 October 26, The Daily News, Perth, page 11, column 5:

A fast foxtrot noted for its complex and intricate footwork.


square dance

en-noun

square dance (countable and uncountable, plural square dances)

Square dance is America's folk dance.


breakdown

breakdown (countable and uncountable, plural breakdowns)

sınma

failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature

Come, hold on, boys, do n't clear out when the quadrilles are over, for we are going to have a break down to wind up with.

1859, John Russell Bartlett, “Break down”, in Dictionary of Americanisms: A Glossary of Words and Phrases usually Regarded as Peculiar to the United States, 2nd edition, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown, and Company; London: Trübner and Company, →OCLC, page 49:

Towards nine the three miners said that as they had brought their instruments they might as well tune up, for the boys and girls would soon be arriving now, and hungry for a good old fashioned break[-]down. A fiddle, a banjo, and a clarinet—these were the instruments. The trio took their places side by side, and began to play some rattling dance-music, and beat time with their big boots.

1906, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “The Californian’s Tale”, in The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 193:

(dance, dated) A noisy, rapid, shuffling dance engaged in competitively by a number of individuals or pairs in succession, common among African-Americans from the Southern United States; also, a lively event, chiefly in a rural setting, at which such dancing is done; a hoedown, a shindig.

breakdown-tanssi

shuffling dance common among African-Americans from the Southern United States


square dancing

A type of dance in which eight dancers are arranged in a square as four couples, with a caller calling or singing out the movements that the dancers are to perform.


Bergamask

From the Italian bergamasco (“from Bergamo”), itself from German Bergheim (“mountain home”).

A rustic dance, supposedly typical of the region


hora

From Hebrew הוֹרָה (hóra), Yiddish האָרע (hore), and Romanian horă, from Turkish hora, probably from Greek χορός (chorós, “dance”). Doublet of choir, chorus, and quire.

(dance) A circle dance popular in the Balkans, Israel and Yiddish culture worldwide.


hora

hora (nominative singular)
horat (nominative plural)
hora (accusative nominative singular)
horat (accusative nominative plural)
horan (accusative genitive singular)
horat (accusative genitive plural)
horan (genitive singular)
horien (genitive plural)
horain (genitive plural rare)
horaa (partitive singular)
horia (partitive plural)
horassa (inessive singular)
horissa (inessive plural)
horasta (elative singular)
horista (elative plural)
horaan (illative singular)
horiin (illative plural)
horalla (adessive singular)
horilla (adessive plural)
horalta (ablative singular)
horilta (ablative plural)
horalle (allative singular)
horille (allative plural)
horana (essive singular)
horina (essive plural)
horaksi (singular translative)
horiksi (plural translative)
horatta (abessive singular)
horitta (abessive plural)
horin (instructive plural)
See the possessive forms below. (comitative)
horani (nominative singular)
horani (nominative plural)
horani (accusative nominative singular)
horani (accusative nominative plural)
horani (accusative genitive singular)
horani (accusative genitive plural)
horani (genitive singular)
horieni (genitive plural)
horaini (genitive plural rare)
horaani (partitive singular)
horiani (partitive plural)
horassani (inessive singular)
horissani (inessive plural)
horastani (elative singular)
horistani (elative plural)
horaani (illative singular)
horiini (illative plural)
horallani (adessive singular)
horillani (adessive plural)
horaltani (ablative singular)
horiltani (ablative plural)
horalleni (allative singular)
horilleni (allative plural)
horanani (essive singular)
horinani (essive plural)
horakseni (singular translative)
horikseni (plural translative)
horattani (abessive singular)
horittani (abessive plural)
horineni (comitative plural)
horasi (nominative singular)
horasi (nominative plural)
horasi (accusative nominative singular)
horasi (accusative nominative plural)
horasi (accusative genitive singular)
horasi (accusative genitive plural)
horasi (genitive singular)
horiesi (genitive plural)
horaisi (genitive plural rare)
horaasi (partitive singular)
horiasi (partitive plural)
horassasi (inessive singular)
horissasi (inessive plural)
horastasi (elative singular)
horistasi (elative plural)
horaasi (illative singular)
horiisi (illative plural)
horallasi (adessive singular)
horillasi (adessive plural)
horaltasi (ablative singular)
horiltasi (ablative plural)
horallesi (allative singular)
horillesi (allative plural)
horanasi (essive singular)
horinasi (essive plural)
horaksesi (singular translative)
horiksesi (plural translative)
horattasi (abessive singular)
horittasi (abessive plural)
horinesi (comitative plural)
horamme (nominative singular)
horamme (nominative plural)
horamme (accusative nominative singular)
horamme (accusative nominative plural)
horamme (accusative genitive singular)
horamme (accusative genitive plural)
horamme (genitive singular)
horiemme (genitive plural)
horaimme (genitive plural rare)
horaamme (partitive singular)
horiamme (partitive plural)
horassamme (inessive singular)
horissamme (inessive plural)
horastamme (elative singular)
horistamme (elative plural)
horaamme (illative singular)
horiimme (illative plural)
horallamme (adessive singular)
horillamme (adessive plural)
horaltamme (ablative singular)
horiltamme (ablative plural)
horallemme (allative singular)
horillemme (allative plural)
horanamme (essive singular)
horinamme (essive plural)
horaksemme (singular translative)
horiksemme (plural translative)
horattamme (abessive singular)
horittamme (abessive plural)
horinemme (comitative plural)
horanne (nominative singular)
horanne (nominative plural)
horanne (accusative nominative singular)
horanne (accusative nominative plural)
horanne (accusative genitive singular)
horanne (accusative genitive plural)
horanne (genitive singular)
horienne (genitive plural)
horainne (genitive plural rare)
horaanne (partitive singular)
horianne (partitive plural)
horassanne (inessive singular)
horissanne (inessive plural)
horastanne (elative singular)
horistanne (elative plural)
horaanne (illative singular)
horiinne (illative plural)
horallanne (adessive singular)
horillanne (adessive plural)
horaltanne (ablative singular)
horiltanne (ablative plural)
horallenne (allative singular)
horillenne (allative plural)
horananne (essive singular)
horinanne (essive plural)
horaksenne (singular translative)
horiksenne (plural translative)
horattanne (abessive singular)
horittanne (abessive plural)
horinenne (comitative plural)
horansa (nominative singular)
horansa (nominative plural)
horansa (accusative nominative singular)
horansa (accusative nominative plural)
horansa (accusative genitive singular)
horansa (accusative genitive plural)
horansa (genitive singular)
horiensa (genitive plural)
horainsa (genitive plural rare)
horaansa (partitive singular)
horiaan (partitive plural)
horiansa (partitive plural)
horassaan (inessive singular)
horassansa (inessive singular)
horissaan (inessive plural)
horissansa (inessive plural)
horastaan (elative singular)
horastansa (elative singular)
horistaan (elative plural)
horistansa (elative plural)
horaansa (illative singular)
horiinsa (illative plural)
horallaan (adessive singular)
horallansa (adessive singular)
horillaan (adessive plural)
horillansa (adessive plural)
horaltaan (ablative singular)
horaltansa (ablative singular)
horiltaan (ablative plural)
horiltansa (ablative plural)
horalleen (allative singular)
horallensa (allative singular)
horilleen (allative plural)
horillensa (allative plural)
horanaan (essive singular)
horanansa (essive singular)
horinaan (essive plural)
horinansa (essive plural)
horakseen (singular translative)
horaksensa (singular translative)
horikseen (plural translative)
horiksensa (plural translative)
horattaan (abessive singular)
horattansa (abessive singular)
horittaan (abessive plural)
horittansa (abessive plural)
horineen (comitative plural)
horinensa (comitative plural)


disco

en-verb

disco (third-person singular simple present discos, present participle discoing, simple past and past participle discoed)

discos (present singular third-person)
discoing (participle present)
discoed (participle past)
discoed (past)

From a shortening of discotheque, from French discothèque.

The cause of his ill health is left a little obscure, and no wonder, because shortly before his dreadful deathbed scene he's well enough to join the women in a wild night of disco dancing. You have not lived until you've seen Martin Landau discoing.

2013, Roger Ebert, “B.A.P.S.”, in I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie, Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN:

(intransitive) To dance disco-style dances.


twist

en-noun

twist (countable and uncountable, plural twists)

German: Twist

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Middle English twist, from Old English *twist, in compounds (e.g. mæsttwist (“a rope; stay”), candeltwist (“a wick”)), from Proto-Germanic *twistaz, a derivative of *twi- (“two-”) (compare also twine, between, betwixt).
Related to Saterland Frisian Twist (“discord”), Dutch twist (“twist; strife; discord”), German Low German Twist (“strife; discord”), German Zwist (“turmoil; strife; discord”), Swedish tvist (“quarrel; dispute”), Icelandic tvistur (“deuce”).
The verb is from Middle English twisten. Compare Dutch twisten, Danish tviste (“to dispute”), Swedish tvista (“to argue; dispute”).

cog

Come on, baby, let's do the twist
 Take me by my little hand and go like this

1958, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (lyrics and music), “The Twist”:

Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring
Seems he was troubled by just one thing
Opened the lid and shook his fist
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"
It's now the Mash
It's now the Monster Mash.

1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:

She taught him to do the twist, having learned it herself from an Alvin Ailey dancer at Jacob's Pillow.

1997 April 22, Jennifer Dunning, “Surviving It All, Dismissals, Tours and Balanchine”, in New York Times:

(preceded by definite article) A modern dance popular in Western culture in the late 1950s and 1960s, based on rotating the hips repeatedly from side to side. See Twist (dance) on Wikipedia for more details.

Damascus twist

A material for gun barrels, consisting of iron and steel twisted and welded together.

The physician should evaluate for a history of tight ponytails, buns, chignons, braids, twists, weaves, cornrows, dreadlocks, sisterlocks, and hair wefts in addition to the usage of religious hair coverings.

2021, Becky S. Li, Howard I. Maibach, Ethnic Skin and Hair and Other Cultural Considerations, page 154:


twist

twist (nominative singular)
twisty (nominative plural)
twistu (genitive singular)
twistů (genitive plural)
twistu (dative singular)
twistům (dative plural)
twist (accusative singular)
twisty (accusative plural)
twiste (singular vocative)
twisty (plural vocative)
twistu (locative singular)
twistech (locative plural)
twistem (instrumental singular)
twisty (instrumental plural)


twist

twist (nominative singular)
twistit (nominative plural)
twist (accusative nominative singular)
twistit (accusative nominative plural)
twistin (accusative genitive singular)
twistit (accusative genitive plural)
twistin (genitive singular)
twistien (genitive plural)
twistiä (partitive singular)
twistejä (partitive plural)
twistissä (inessive singular)
twisteissä (inessive plural)
twististä (elative singular)
twisteistä (elative plural)
twistiin (illative singular)
twisteihin (illative plural)
twistillä (adessive singular)
twisteillä (adessive plural)
twistiltä (ablative singular)
twisteiltä (ablative plural)
twistille (allative singular)
twisteille (allative plural)
twistinä (essive singular)
twisteinä (essive plural)
twistiksi (singular translative)
twisteiksi (plural translative)
twistittä (abessive singular)
twisteittä (abessive plural)
twistein (instructive plural)
See the possessive forms below. (comitative)
twistini (nominative singular)
twistini (nominative plural)
twistini (accusative nominative singular)
twistini (accusative nominative plural)
twistini (accusative genitive singular)
twistini (accusative genitive plural)
twistini (genitive singular)
twistieni (genitive plural)
twistiäni (partitive singular)
twistejäni (partitive plural)
twistissäni (inessive singular)
twisteissäni (inessive plural)
twististäni (elative singular)
twisteistäni (elative plural)
twistiini (illative singular)
twisteihini (illative plural)
twistilläni (adessive singular)
twisteilläni (adessive plural)
twistiltäni (ablative singular)
twisteiltäni (ablative plural)
twistilleni (allative singular)
twisteilleni (allative plural)
twistinäni (essive singular)
twisteinäni (essive plural)
twistikseni (singular translative)
twisteikseni (plural translative)
twistittäni (abessive singular)
twisteittäni (abessive plural)
twisteineni (comitative plural)
twistisi (nominative singular)
twistisi (nominative plural)
twistisi (accusative nominative singular)
twistisi (accusative nominative plural)
twistisi (accusative genitive singular)
twistisi (accusative genitive plural)
twistisi (genitive singular)
twistiesi (genitive plural)
twistiäsi (partitive singular)
twistejäsi (partitive plural)
twistissäsi (inessive singular)
twisteissäsi (inessive plural)
twististäsi (elative singular)
twisteistäsi (elative plural)
twistiisi (illative singular)
twisteihisi (illative plural)
twistilläsi (adessive singular)
twisteilläsi (adessive plural)
twistiltäsi (ablative singular)
twisteiltäsi (ablative plural)
twistillesi (allative singular)
twisteillesi (allative plural)
twistinäsi (essive singular)
twisteinäsi (essive plural)
twistiksesi (singular translative)
twisteiksesi (plural translative)
twistittäsi (abessive singular)
twisteittäsi (abessive plural)
twisteinesi (comitative plural)
twistimme (nominative singular)
twistimme (nominative plural)
twistimme (accusative nominative singular)
twistimme (accusative nominative plural)
twistimme (accusative genitive singular)
twistimme (accusative genitive plural)
twistimme (genitive singular)
twistiemme (genitive plural)
twistiämme (partitive singular)
twistejämme (partitive plural)
twistissämme (inessive singular)
twisteissämme (inessive plural)
twististämme (elative singular)
twisteistämme (elative plural)
twistiimme (illative singular)
twisteihimme (illative plural)
twistillämme (adessive singular)
twisteillämme (adessive plural)
twistiltämme (ablative singular)
twisteiltämme (ablative plural)
twistillemme (allative singular)
twisteillemme (allative plural)
twistinämme (essive singular)
twisteinämme (essive plural)
twistiksemme (singular translative)
twisteiksemme (plural translative)
twistittämme (abessive singular)
twisteittämme (abessive plural)
twisteinemme (comitative plural)
twistinne (nominative singular)
twistinne (nominative plural)
twistinne (accusative nominative singular)
twistinne (accusative nominative plural)
twistinne (accusative genitive singular)
twistinne (accusative genitive plural)
twistinne (genitive singular)
twistienne (genitive plural)
twistiänne (partitive singular)
twistejänne (partitive plural)
twistissänne (inessive singular)
twisteissänne (inessive plural)
twististänne (elative singular)
twisteistänne (elative plural)
twistiinne (illative singular)
twisteihinne (illative plural)
twistillänne (adessive singular)
twisteillänne (adessive plural)
twistiltänne (ablative singular)
twisteiltänne (ablative plural)
twistillenne (allative singular)
twisteillenne (allative plural)
twistinänne (essive singular)
twisteinänne (essive plural)
twistiksenne (singular translative)
twisteiksenne (plural translative)
twistittänne (abessive singular)
twisteittänne (abessive plural)
twisteinenne (comitative plural)
twistinsä (nominative singular)
twistinsä (nominative plural)
twistinsä (accusative nominative singular)
twistinsä (accusative nominative plural)
twistinsä (accusative genitive singular)
twistinsä (accusative genitive plural)
twistinsä (genitive singular)
twistiensä (genitive plural)
twistiään (partitive singular)
twistiänsä (partitive singular)
twistejään (partitive plural)
twistejänsä (partitive plural)
twistissään (inessive singular)
twistissänsä (inessive singular)
twisteissään (inessive plural)
twisteissänsä (inessive plural)
twististään (elative singular)
twististänsä (elative singular)
twisteistään (elative plural)
twisteistänsä (elative plural)
twistiinsä (illative singular)
twisteihinsä (illative plural)
twistillään (adessive singular)
twistillänsä (adessive singular)
twisteillään (adessive plural)
twisteillänsä (adessive plural)
twistiltään (ablative singular)
twistiltänsä (ablative singular)
twisteiltään (ablative plural)
twisteiltänsä (ablative plural)
twistilleen (allative singular)
twistillensä (allative singular)
twisteilleen (allative plural)
twisteillensä (allative plural)
twistinään (essive singular)
twistinänsä (essive singular)
twisteinään (essive plural)
twisteinänsä (essive plural)
twistikseen (singular translative)
twistiksensä (singular translative)
twisteikseen (plural translative)
twisteiksensä (plural translative)
twistittään (abessive singular)
twistittänsä (abessive singular)
twisteittään (abessive plural)
twisteittänsä (abessive plural)
twisteineen (comitative plural)
twisteinensä (comitative plural)


twist

twist (nominative singular)
twisty (nominative plural)
twista (genitive singular)
twistów (genitive plural)
twistowi (dative singular)
twistom (dative plural)
twist (accusative singular)
twisty (accusative plural)
twistem (instrumental singular)
twistami (instrumental plural)
twiście (locative singular)
twistach (locative plural)
twiście (singular vocative)
twisty (plural vocative)

jar with a threaded neck and a screw cap allowing airtight sealing


lambada

Borrowed from Portuguese lambada (“strong slap, hit”).

(preceded by definite article) A fast-paced, erotic Brazilian dance in which couples dance with their stomachs touching.


lambada

lambada (nominative singular)
lambady (nominative plural)
lambady (genitive singular)
lambad (genitive plural)
lambadě (dative singular)
lambadám (dative plural)
lambadu (accusative singular)
lambady (accusative plural)
lambado (singular vocative)
lambady (plural vocative)
lambadě (locative singular)
lambadách (locative plural)
lambadou (instrumental singular)
lambadami (instrumental plural)


lambada

→ English: lambada


csardas

From Hungarian csárdás, adjectival form of csárda (“tavern”), from Ottoman Turkish چارطاق (çardak, “arbour, summerhouse”), from Persian چارتاق (čârtâq, “four-arch”), from چار (čâr, “four”) + طاق (tâq, “arch”).

der

`When you danced the czardas with Admiral Horthy?'

1958, Anthony Burgess, The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 229:

An intricate Hungarian folk dance characterized by variations in tempo. The two main parts are called lassú (slow) and friss (quick).


lawnmower

(preceded by definite article) A dance move in which the dancer mimics using a petrol lawn mower by pulling the starter cord and then pushing the mower forwards to the beat of the music.


rumba

A slow-paced Cuban partner dance in 4:4 time.


rumba

rumba (nominative singular)
rumby (nominative plural)
rumby (genitive singular)
rumeb (genitive plural)
rumbě (dative singular)
rumbám (dative plural)
rumbu (accusative singular)
rumby (accusative plural)
rumbo (singular vocative)
rumby (plural vocative)
rumbě (locative singular)
rumbách (locative plural)
rumbou (instrumental singular)
rumbami (instrumental plural)


rumba

Borrowed from Spanish, from rumbo (“route”).


rumba

head

rumba m (genitive singular rumba, nominative plural rumbaí)

rumba (genitive singular)
rumbaí (nominative plural)
nominative (indefinite)
rumba (indefinite singular)
rumbaí (indefinite plural)
vocative (indefinite)
a rumba (indefinite singular)
a rumbaí (indefinite plural)
genitive (indefinite)
dative (indefinite)
nominative (definite)
an rumba (definite singular)
na rumbaí (definite plural)
genitive (definite)
dative (definite)
leis an rumba (definite singular)
don rumba (definite singular)
leis na rumbaí (definite plural)


rumba

rumba (nominative singular)
rumby (nominative plural)
rumby (genitive singular)
rumb (genitive plural)
rumbie (dative singular)
rumbom (dative plural)
rumbę (accusative singular)
rumby (accusative plural)
rumbą (instrumental singular)
rumbami (instrumental plural)
rumbie (locative singular)
rumbach (locative plural)
rumbo (singular vocative)
rumby (plural vocative)


rumba

→ English: rumba

→ German: Rumba

Cuban Spanish, from rumbo (“spree, party”), meaning evolved from "ostentation, pomp, leadership," perhaps originally "the course of a ship," from rombo (“rhombus”), referencing the compass, which is marked by a rhombus. See rhombus.


rumba

rumba ya Congo

Moja ya aina ya muziki na dansi yenye ushawishi mkubwa zaidi ya Kiafrika, rumba ya Congo, sasa ina hadhi ya kulindwa na Unesco.

2021 December 15, “Rumba ya Congo yashinda hadhi ya kulindwa na UNESCO”, in BBC News Swahili:

One of the most influential African music and dance forms, the Congolese rumba, now has UNESCO protected status.


shag

en-verb

shag (third-person singular simple present shags, present participle shagging, simple past and past participle shagged)

shags (present singular third-person)
shagging (participle present)
shagged (participle past)
shagged (past)

From Middle English schaggen, a variant of Middle English schoggen (“to shake; shake off; tremble”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a byform of Middle English schokken (“to shake; move rapidly”), related to Middle Low German schokken (“to shake; tremble”). Alternatively, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skakkōną (“to shake”), specifically continuing a post-Proto-Germanic variant *skagg-, where the non-singular stem *skag- caused the analogical replacement of the stem-final voiceless geminate consonants with voiced geminates, which was then leveled throughout the paradigm.

cog

I'm not pregnant! I have shagged and shagged and shagged and all the little bastards missed!

2002, Steven Moffat, Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Coupling), season 3, episode 7, spoken by Jane Christie (Gina Bellman):

(UK, Ireland, intransitive, slang, vulgar) To have sex.


shag

Lizzy is a shag extraordinaire, but has a tongue like a sailor and a castrating stare.

1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, “Cock Problems”, in Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 87:

'It turned out that it was me who was just a shag to him. He had a girlfriend I didn't know about. He presumed I was up for some no-strings action. And the thing is, I thought I was – in theory. But in practice, I realized that I wasn't.'

2003, Freya North, Pip, Harper, published 2003, →ISBN:

"Was I just another shag to you, Trace? Someone to bed when the offer came?"

2008, Bruce Cooke, Trace Elements, Eternal Press, published 2008, →ISBN, page 56:

'Your favourite shag?' I ask her.
'Martin Kershen.'
'He was a sexy beast.'

2011, Wes Lee, “Saul”, in Zoe Dattner, Louise Swinn, editors, The Sleepers Almanac, No. 7, Sleepers Publishing, →ISBN, page 135:

(slang, vulgar) A casual sexual partner.


jig

Unknown. Derivation from Middle English gyge (“fiddle”), from Old French gigue (“a fiddle”) has been proposed, but the connection and sense development are obscure. The sense “a type of dance” of modern French gigue is borrowed from English.

They danced a jig.

Soon Marshall is doing an elaborate foot-to-foot jig, and then they're all bounding around. Shoulder dips. Yee-ha faces. It's an impromptu hoedown.

2012 November 15, Tom Lamont, “How Mumford & Sons became the biggest band in the world”, in The Daily Telegraph:

(traditional Irish music and dance) A lively dance in 6/8 (double jig), 9/8 (slip jig) or 12/8 (single jig) time; a tune suitable for such a dance. By extension, a lively traditional tune in any of these time signatures. Unqualified, the term is usually taken to refer to a double (6/8) jig.

They were waked out of their bunks one black night by yells of "Squid O!" from Salters, and for an hour and a half every soul aboard hung over his squid-jig—a piece of lead painted red and armed at the lower end with a circle of pins bent backward like half-opened umbrella ribs.

1897, Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous:

(fishing) A type of lure consisting of a hook molded into a weight, usually with a bright or colorful body.


jig

en-verb

jig (third-person singular simple present jigs, present participle jigging, simple past and past participle jigged)

jigs (present singular third-person)
jigging (participle present)
jigged (participle past)
jigged (past)

To skip school or be truant (Australia, Canadian Maritimes)


mambo

en-noun

mambo (countable and uncountable, plural mambos or mamboes)

From Haitian Creole manbo (“voodoo priestess”) (ultimately from Yoruba mambo (“to talk”)), in later senses via Cuban Spanish mambo (“dance”).

der

A Latin-American musical genre, adapted from rumba, originating from Cuba in the 1940s, or a dance or rhythm of this genre.


mambo

mambo (nominative singular)
mamba (nominative plural)
mamba (genitive singular)
mamb (genitive plural)
mambu (dative singular)
mambům (dative plural)
mambo (accusative singular)
mamba (accusative plural)
mambo (singular vocative)
mamba (plural vocative)
mambu (locative singular)
mambech (locative plural)
mambem (instrumental singular)
mamby (instrumental plural)


mambo

From American Spanish, likely from Haitian Creole manbo.


samba

en-noun

samba (countable and uncountable, plural sambas)

Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese samba, from a Bantu language. Doublet of semba.

bor+

(dance) A Brazilian ballroom dance or dance style.

Slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888; until then, Bahia had been a major hub of the country’s slave trade. Samba started there for a reason—a fact that Veloso has returned to, obsessively, throughout his career.

2022 February 7, Jonathan Blitzer, “How Caetano Veloso Revolutionized Brazil’s Sound and Spirit”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN:

(music) A Brazilian musical genre, to which the aforementioned dance is danced, which has its roots in West Africa via the slave trade.


samba

en-verb

samba (third-person singular simple present sambas, present participle sambaing, simple past and past participle sambaed)

sambas (present singular third-person)
sambaing (participle present)
sambaed (participle past)
sambaed (past)

In front of an audience, he tends to have a freer conversation with himself. The right conditions turn him into an extrovert. He sambas, in the Santo Amaro style.


samba

samba (nominative singular)
samby (nominative plural)
samby (genitive singular)
sameb (genitive plural)
sambě (dative singular)
sambám (dative plural)
sambu (accusative singular)
samby (accusative plural)
sambo (singular vocative)
samby (plural vocative)
sambě (locative singular)
sambách (locative plural)
sambou (instrumental singular)
sambami (instrumental plural)


samba

samba (nominative singular)
sambat (nominative plural)
samba (accusative nominative singular)
sambat (accusative nominative plural)
samban (accusative genitive singular)
sambat (accusative genitive plural)
samban (genitive singular)
sambojen (genitive plural)
sambain (genitive plural rare)
sambaa (partitive singular)
samboja (partitive plural)
sambassa (inessive singular)
samboissa (inessive plural)
sambasta (elative singular)
samboista (elative plural)
sambaan (illative singular)
samboihin (illative plural)
samballa (adessive singular)
samboilla (adessive plural)
sambalta (ablative singular)
samboilta (ablative plural)
samballe (allative singular)
samboille (allative plural)
sambana (essive singular)
samboina (essive plural)
sambaksi (singular translative)
samboiksi (plural translative)
sambatta (abessive singular)
samboitta (abessive plural)
samboin (instructive plural)
See the possessive forms below. (comitative)
sambani (nominative singular)
sambani (nominative plural)
sambani (accusative nominative singular)
sambani (accusative nominative plural)
sambani (accusative genitive singular)
sambani (accusative genitive plural)
sambani (genitive singular)
sambojeni (genitive plural)
sambaini (genitive plural rare)
sambaani (partitive singular)
sambojani (partitive plural)
sambassani (inessive singular)
samboissani (inessive plural)
sambastani (elative singular)
samboistani (elative plural)
sambaani (illative singular)
samboihini (illative plural)
samballani (adessive singular)
samboillani (adessive plural)
sambaltani (ablative singular)
samboiltani (ablative plural)
samballeni (allative singular)
samboilleni (allative plural)
sambanani (essive singular)
samboinani (essive plural)
sambakseni (singular translative)
samboikseni (plural translative)
sambattani (abessive singular)
samboittani (abessive plural)
samboineni (comitative plural)
sambasi (nominative singular)
sambasi (nominative plural)
sambasi (accusative nominative singular)
sambasi (accusative nominative plural)
sambasi (accusative genitive singular)
sambasi (accusative genitive plural)
sambasi (genitive singular)
sambojesi (genitive plural)
sambaisi (genitive plural rare)
sambaasi (partitive singular)
sambojasi (partitive plural)
sambassasi (inessive singular)
samboissasi (inessive plural)
sambastasi (elative singular)
samboistasi (elative plural)
sambaasi (illative singular)
samboihisi (illative plural)
samballasi (adessive singular)
samboillasi (adessive plural)
sambaltasi (ablative singular)
samboiltasi (ablative plural)
samballesi (allative singular)
samboillesi (allative plural)
sambanasi (essive singular)
samboinasi (essive plural)
sambaksesi (singular translative)
samboiksesi (plural translative)
sambattasi (abessive singular)
samboittasi (abessive plural)
samboinesi (comitative plural)
sambamme (nominative singular)
sambamme (nominative plural)
sambamme (accusative nominative singular)
sambamme (accusative nominative plural)
sambamme (accusative genitive singular)
sambamme (accusative genitive plural)
sambamme (genitive singular)
sambojemme (genitive plural)
sambaimme (genitive plural rare)
sambaamme (partitive singular)
sambojamme (partitive plural)
sambassamme (inessive singular)
samboissamme (inessive plural)
sambastamme (elative singular)
samboistamme (elative plural)
sambaamme (illative singular)
samboihimme (illative plural)
samballamme (adessive singular)
samboillamme (adessive plural)
sambaltamme (ablative singular)
samboiltamme (ablative plural)
samballemme (allative singular)
samboillemme (allative plural)
sambanamme (essive singular)
samboinamme (essive plural)
sambaksemme (singular translative)
samboiksemme (plural translative)
sambattamme (abessive singular)
samboittamme (abessive plural)
samboinemme (comitative plural)
sambanne (nominative singular)
sambanne (nominative plural)
sambanne (accusative nominative singular)
sambanne (accusative nominative plural)
sambanne (accusative genitive singular)
sambanne (accusative genitive plural)
sambanne (genitive singular)
sambojenne (genitive plural)
sambainne (genitive plural rare)
sambaanne (partitive singular)
sambojanne (partitive plural)
sambassanne (inessive singular)
samboissanne (inessive plural)
sambastanne (elative singular)
samboistanne (elative plural)
sambaanne (illative singular)
samboihinne (illative plural)
samballanne (adessive singular)
samboillanne (adessive plural)
sambaltanne (ablative singular)
samboiltanne (ablative plural)
samballenne (allative singular)
samboillenne (allative plural)
sambananne (essive singular)
samboinanne (essive plural)
sambaksenne (singular translative)
samboiksenne (plural translative)
sambattanne (abessive singular)
samboittanne (abessive plural)
samboinenne (comitative plural)
sambansa (nominative singular)
sambansa (nominative plural)
sambansa (accusative nominative singular)
sambansa (accusative nominative plural)
sambansa (accusative genitive singular)
sambansa (accusative genitive plural)
sambansa (genitive singular)
sambojensa (genitive plural)
sambainsa (genitive plural rare)
sambaansa (partitive singular)
sambojaan (partitive plural)
sambojansa (partitive plural)
sambassaan (inessive singular)
sambassansa (inessive singular)
samboissaan (inessive plural)
samboissansa (inessive plural)
sambastaan (elative singular)
sambastansa (elative singular)
samboistaan (elative plural)
samboistansa (elative plural)
sambaansa (illative singular)
samboihinsa (illative plural)
samballaan (adessive singular)
samballansa (adessive singular)
samboillaan (adessive plural)
samboillansa (adessive plural)
sambaltaan (ablative singular)
sambaltansa (ablative singular)
samboiltaan (ablative plural)
samboiltansa (ablative plural)
samballeen (allative singular)
samballensa (allative singular)
samboilleen (allative plural)
samboillensa (allative plural)
sambanaan (essive singular)
sambanansa (essive singular)
samboinaan (essive plural)
samboinansa (essive plural)
sambakseen (singular translative)
sambaksensa (singular translative)
samboikseen (plural translative)
samboiksensa (plural translative)
sambattaan (abessive singular)
sambattansa (abessive singular)
samboittaan (abessive plural)
samboittansa (abessive plural)
samboineen (comitative plural)
samboinensa (comitative plural)


samba

samba (nominative singular)
samby (nominative plural)
samby (genitive singular)
samb (genitive plural)
sambie (dative singular)
sambom (dative plural)
sambę (accusative singular)
samby (accusative plural)
sambą (instrumental singular)
sambami (instrumental plural)
sambie (locative singular)
sambach (locative plural)
sambo (singular vocative)
samby (plural vocative)


samba

samba (indefinite nominative singular)
sambas (genitive indefinite singular)
samban (definite nominative singular)
sambans (definite genitive singular)
sambor (indefinite nominative plural)
sambors (genitive indefinite plural)
samborna (definite nominative plural)
sambornas (definite genitive plural)


samba

head

samba (definite accusative sambayı, plural sambalar)

sambayı (accusative definite)
sambalar (plural)

Borrowed from French samba or from Brazilian Portuguese samba.


volta

volta (nominative singular)
volty (nominative plural)
volty (genitive singular)
volt (genitive plural)
volcie (dative singular)
voltom (dative plural)
voltę (accusative singular)
volty (accusative plural)
voltą (instrumental singular)
voltami (instrumental plural)
volcie (locative singular)
voltach (locative plural)
volto (singular vocative)
volty (plural vocative)


bale

bale (definite accusative baleyi, plural baleler)

baleyi (accusative definite)
baleler (plural)


minuet

From French menuet, from menu (“small”) + -et (“diminutive”), from Latin minutus (“very small”).

A slow graceful dance consisting of a coupé, a high step, and a balance.

(music) A tune or air to regulate the movements of the minuet dance: it has the dance form, and is commonly in 3/4, sometimes 3/8, measure.

(music) A complete short musical composition inspired by and conforming to many formal characteristics of the traditional musical accompaniment to the dance of same name.

(music) A movement which is part of a longer musical composition such as a suite, sonata, or symphony which is inspired by and conforming to formal characteristics of the dance of same name.


minuet

en-verb

minuet (third-person singular simple present minuets, present participle minueting, simple past and past participle minueted)

minuets (present singular third-person)
minueting (participle present)
minueted (participle past)
minueted (past)

After he had raved his time upon the stage, the ladies and knights again minueted for an hour, and again gave place.

1838, William Samuel Waithman Ruschenberger, A Voyage Round the World, page 318:

Within the same circle with the pigeons, were beautiful albatrosses, poising and minueting with them in the most pleasing fellowship.

1840, “An Officer of the U. S. Navy,”, in Around the World: A Narrative of a Voyage in the East India Squadron, Under Commodore George C. Read, page 163:

This set the pattern for four years, as the two monarchs minueted around the vast Commonwealth, never again to face each other personally in battle.

2001, Tony Sharp, Pleasure and Ambition: The Life, Loves and Wars of Augustus the Strong, page 185:


reel

From Middle English reel, reele, from Old English rēol, hrēol, from Proto-West Germanic *hrehul, from Proto-Germanic *hrehulaz, *hrahilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *krek- (“to weave, beat”). Cognate with Icelandic ræl, hræll.

der

So strict is the kirk of Scotland, that one minister was unfrocked for writing a play (in former times); and another was sent about his business for being too fond of whiskey and of dancing the reel of Tullochgorum.

1824, Felix M'Donogh, The Hermit in Edinburgh:

(dance) A lively dance originating in Scotland.

[…]sample the famed waters from the Scottish mountains like a native born, and last but not least, play a reel on the bagpipes in the big hall that set all the laddies and lassies dancing.

The traditional reel Within a Mile of Dublin, for instance, distorts until it reaches something quasi-industrial.

2023 November 13, Patrick Clarke, “‘People’s idea of Irishness is so warped’: John Francis Flynn, the folk singer fighting for Dublin’s spirit”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(music) The music of this dance; often called a Scottish (or Scotch) reel.

a log reel (used by seamen)

an angler's reel

a garden reel

nudge the fruit machine reel

A kind of spool, turning on an axis, on which yarn, threads, lines, or the like, are wound.

(agriculture) A device consisting of radial arms with horizontal stats, connected with a harvesting machine, for holding the stalks of grain in position to be cut by the knives.


reel

en-verb

reel (third-person singular simple present reels, present participle reeling, simple past and past participle reeled)

reels (present singular third-person)
reeling (participle present)
reeled (participle past)
reeled (past)

To produce a mechanical insect-like song, as in grass warblers.


jive

en-noun

jive (countable and uncountable, plural jives)

Unknown. Slang attested in African-American and rural American culture. Frequently used to imply lying, verbal deception or trickery. Has a possible historical antecedent in gyve (“shackle”). Alternatively, of African origin, compare Wolof jev, jeu (“to talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner”).

Although speaking Western Japanese to your friends in Ōsaka, Kyōto, or Kōbe will allow you to get closer to them, speaking Western Japanese in Tōkyō might seem as outlandish as hearing a Japanese exchange student back home speaking jive or cockney.

1993, Peter Tse, Kansai Japanese: The Language of Osaka, Kyoto, and Western Japan: This Japanese Phrasebook and Language Guide Teaches the Kansai Dialect, Tuttle Publishing, →ISBN, page 17:

"Oh come on," she said. "I heard you talking jive the other day when you were playing with your dolls. And back in February, when you recited that poem by, by—what was the poet's name?
"Langston Hughes?"
"Right, Langston Hughes," Kanta said. "You spoke jive when you read that poem, remember?"

2019, Mathea Morais, There You Are, Amberjack Publishing, →ISBN:

African-American Vernacular English
African-American Vernacular English

(US, colloquial, often derogatory) African-American Vernacular English.


jive

jive (nominative singular)
jivy (nominative plural)
jivu (genitive singular)
jivů (genitive plural)
jivu (dative singular)
jivům (dative plural)
jive (accusative singular)
jivy (accusative plural)
jive (singular vocative)
jivy (plural vocative)
jivu (locative singular)
jivech (locative plural)
jivem (instrumental singular)
jivy (instrumental plural)


stroll

Borrowed from German strollen, a variant of Alemannic German strolchen, from Strolch (“vagabond; rascal”).

(preceded by definite article) A dance of the 1950s in which dancers leisurely stepped, cross-stepped, and dipped at the knee to the beat of the music.


Baal

From Old Frisian *bal, from Proto-West Germanic *ballu, from Proto-Germanic *balluz. Cognates include West Frisian bal and German Ball.
The sense "social gathering for dancing" is a semantic loan from German Ball, from French bal.


surf

en-verb

surf (third-person singular simple present surfs, present participle surfing, simple past and past participle surfed)

surfs (present singular third-person)
surfing (participle present)
surfed (participle past)
surfed (past)

1680s, perhaps from earlier suffe (c. 1590), possibly related to sough, or possibly of Indo-Aryan origin, as the word was formerly a reference to the coast of India.
The verb is from 1917.
The verb referring to "browsing the Internet" was popularized by Jean Armour Polly.

(transitive, intransitive) To browse the Internet, television, etc.


skank

Originally Jamaican, attested from the twentieth century, but earliest source is uncertain. The verb sense be dishonest is evidently older. Perhaps originally onomatopoeic. The dance senses may come from a resemblance to motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic. Compare skanker.

[…]the ability to double up with contagious laughter; the feeling of pure child-like glee; and the mesmerizing, trance-like skank dancing that looks like African aerobics after centuries of rhythm.

1989, “Reggae: The revolution continues”, in Link, volume 32, number 1, page 35:

All reggae dance represents a dialogue with that basic movement which is the skank — a kind of offbeat walking on the spot

1999, Kwame Dawes, Natural Mysticism: Towards a New Reggae Aesthetic in Caribbean Writing, page 110:

A dance performed to ska, dub, or reggae music.


rock and roll

rock and roll (nominative singular)
rock and rolla (genitive singular)
rock and rollowi (dative singular)
rock and rolla (accusative singular)
rock and rollem (instrumental singular)
rock and rollu (locative singular)
rock and rollu (singular vocative)

Unadapted borrowing from English rock and roll.

ubor

rock and roll (style of vigorous dancing associated with this genre of music)


isa

a dance and singing style of the Canary Islands


pony

→ Belarusian: по́ні (póni)

→ Danish: pony

→ Dutch: pony
→ Indonesian: poni

→ Finnish: poni

→ French: poney
→ Romanian: ponei

→ Georgian: პონი (ṗoni)

→ German: Pony
→ Estonian: poni

→ Hungarian: póni

→ Irish: pónaí

→ Italian: pony

→ Japanese: ポニー (ponī)

→ Lithuanian: ponis

→ Maltese: poni

→ Norwegian: ponni

desc

→ Portuguese: pónei, pônei (Brazil), poney

→ Russian: пони (poni)

→ Spanish: poni

→ Swedish: ponny

→ Ukrainian: по́ні (póni)

1659 from Scots powny, apparently from Middle French poulenet (“little foal”), ultimately from Late Latin pullanus (“young of an animal”), from pullus (cognate to English foal). Sense “small serving of alcohol” from 19th century, both for small sizes generally and for a quarter pint specifically, from the small size.

uder

(slang, derogatory, video games) Ellipsis of Sony pony.


boogie

(informal, US) A piece of solid or semisolid mucus in or removed from the nostril cavity.


boogie

Come on girls, let's get on the dancefloor and have a boogie!

(informal) Any relatively energetic dance to pop or rock music.

(skydiving, informal) A large, organised skydiving event.


boogie

en-verb

boogie (third-person singular simple present boogies, present participle boogying or boogieing, simple past and past participle boogied)

boogies (present singular third-person)
boogying (participle present)
boogieing (participle present)
boogied (participle past)
boogied (past)

Don't you know I wanna boogie with you / Hey, I wanna boogie with you / Down on the corner

1979, Lou Reed (lyrics and music), “I Want to Boogie With You”, in The Bells:

Mr. Nichols said that with permits, equipment storage fees and other expenses, it costs the association about $7,000 for a season of boogieing.

2007 May 28, Tim Murphy, “A Little Older and a Bit Creakier, Skaters Boogie on in Central Park”, in New York Times:


tango

From Rioplatense Spanish tango, probably from a Niger-Congo language (compare Ibibio tamgu (“to dance”)).

(dance) A standard ballroom dance in 4/4 time; or a social dance, the Argentine tango.

(dance) A Spanish flamenco dance with different steps from the Argentine.


tango

From translingual Tango (representing the letter T), from English tango (see above).

NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet
w:NATO Phonetic Alphabet

(international standards) Alternative letter-case form of Tango from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.


tango

Borrowed from Spanish tango, probably from a Niger-Congo language.

tango (Argentine-Uruguayan dance and musical style)


tango

tango (nominative singular)
tangot (nominative plural)
tango (accusative nominative singular)
tangot (accusative nominative plural)
tangon (accusative genitive singular)
tangot (accusative genitive plural)
tangon (genitive singular)
tangojen (genitive plural)
tangoa (partitive singular)
tangoja (partitive plural)
tangossa (inessive singular)
tangoissa (inessive plural)
tangosta (elative singular)
tangoista (elative plural)
tangoon (illative singular)
tangoihin (illative plural)
tangolla (adessive singular)
tangoilla (adessive plural)
tangolta (ablative singular)
tangoilta (ablative plural)
tangolle (allative singular)
tangoille (allative plural)
tangona (essive singular)
tangoina (essive plural)
tangoksi (singular translative)
tangoiksi (plural translative)
tangotta (abessive singular)
tangoitta (abessive plural)
tangoin (instructive plural)
See the possessive forms below. (comitative)
tangoni (nominative singular)
tangoni (nominative plural)
tangoni (accusative nominative singular)
tangoni (accusative nominative plural)
tangoni (accusative genitive singular)
tangoni (accusative genitive plural)
tangoni (genitive singular)
tangojeni (genitive plural)
tangoani (partitive singular)
tangojani (partitive plural)
tangossani (inessive singular)
tangoissani (inessive plural)
tangostani (elative singular)
tangoistani (elative plural)
tangooni (illative singular)
tangoihini (illative plural)
tangollani (adessive singular)
tangoillani (adessive plural)
tangoltani (ablative singular)
tangoiltani (ablative plural)
tangolleni (allative singular)
tangoilleni (allative plural)
tangonani (essive singular)
tangoinani (essive plural)
tangokseni (singular translative)
tangoikseni (plural translative)
tangottani (abessive singular)
tangoittani (abessive plural)
tangoineni (comitative plural)
tangosi (nominative singular)
tangosi (nominative plural)
tangosi (accusative nominative singular)
tangosi (accusative nominative plural)
tangosi (accusative genitive singular)
tangosi (accusative genitive plural)
tangosi (genitive singular)
tangojesi (genitive plural)
tangoasi (partitive singular)
tangojasi (partitive plural)
tangossasi (inessive singular)
tangoissasi (inessive plural)
tangostasi (elative singular)
tangoistasi (elative plural)
tangoosi (illative singular)
tangoihisi (illative plural)
tangollasi (adessive singular)
tangoillasi (adessive plural)
tangoltasi (ablative singular)
tangoiltasi (ablative plural)
tangollesi (allative singular)
tangoillesi (allative plural)
tangonasi (essive singular)
tangoinasi (essive plural)
tangoksesi (singular translative)
tangoiksesi (plural translative)
tangottasi (abessive singular)
tangoittasi (abessive plural)
tangoinesi (comitative plural)
tangomme (nominative singular)
tangomme (nominative plural)
tangomme (accusative nominative singular)
tangomme (accusative nominative plural)
tangomme (accusative genitive singular)
tangomme (accusative genitive plural)
tangomme (genitive singular)
tangojemme (genitive plural)
tangoamme (partitive singular)
tangojamme (partitive plural)
tangossamme (inessive singular)
tangoissamme (inessive plural)
tangostamme (elative singular)
tangoistamme (elative plural)
tangoomme (illative singular)
tangoihimme (illative plural)
tangollamme (adessive singular)
tangoillamme (adessive plural)
tangoltamme (ablative singular)
tangoiltamme (ablative plural)
tangollemme (allative singular)
tangoillemme (allative plural)
tangonamme (essive singular)
tangoinamme (essive plural)
tangoksemme (singular translative)
tangoiksemme (plural translative)
tangottamme (abessive singular)
tangoittamme (abessive plural)
tangoinemme (comitative plural)
tangonne (nominative singular)
tangonne (nominative plural)
tangonne (accusative nominative singular)
tangonne (accusative nominative plural)
tangonne (accusative genitive singular)
tangonne (accusative genitive plural)
tangonne (genitive singular)
tangojenne (genitive plural)
tangoanne (partitive singular)
tangojanne (partitive plural)
tangossanne (inessive singular)
tangoissanne (inessive plural)
tangostanne (elative singular)
tangoistanne (elative plural)
tangoonne (illative singular)
tangoihinne (illative plural)
tangollanne (adessive singular)
tangoillanne (adessive plural)
tangoltanne (ablative singular)
tangoiltanne (ablative plural)
tangollenne (allative singular)
tangoillenne (allative plural)
tangonanne (essive singular)
tangoinanne (essive plural)
tangoksenne (singular translative)
tangoiksenne (plural translative)
tangottanne (abessive singular)
tangoittanne (abessive plural)
tangoinenne (comitative plural)
tangonsa (nominative singular)
tangonsa (nominative plural)
tangonsa (accusative nominative singular)
tangonsa (accusative nominative plural)
tangonsa (accusative genitive singular)
tangonsa (accusative genitive plural)
tangonsa (genitive singular)
tangojensa (genitive plural)
tangoaan (partitive singular)
tangoansa (partitive singular)
tangojaan (partitive plural)
tangojansa (partitive plural)
tangossaan (inessive singular)
tangossansa (inessive singular)
tangoissaan (inessive plural)
tangoissansa (inessive plural)
tangostaan (elative singular)
tangostansa (elative singular)
tangoistaan (elative plural)
tangoistansa (elative plural)
tangoonsa (illative singular)
tangoihinsa (illative plural)
tangollaan (adessive singular)
tangollansa (adessive singular)
tangoillaan (adessive plural)
tangoillansa (adessive plural)
tangoltaan (ablative singular)
tangoltansa (ablative singular)
tangoiltaan (ablative plural)
tangoiltansa (ablative plural)
tangolleen (allative singular)
tangollensa (allative singular)
tangoilleen (allative plural)
tangoillensa (allative plural)
tangonaan (essive singular)
tangonansa (essive singular)
tangoinaan (essive plural)
tangoinansa (essive plural)
tangokseen (singular translative)
tangoksensa (singular translative)
tangoikseen (plural translative)
tangoiksensa (plural translative)
tangottaan (abessive singular)
tangottansa (abessive singular)
tangoittaan (abessive plural)
tangoittansa (abessive plural)
tangoineen (comitative plural)
tangoinensa (comitative plural)


tango

Turkish: tango


tango

tango (nominative singular)
tanga (nominative plural)
tanga (genitive singular)
tang (genitive plural)
tangu (dative singular)
tangom (dative plural)
tango (accusative singular)
tanga (accusative plural)
tangiem (instrumental singular)
tangami (instrumental plural)
tangu (locative singular)
tangach (locative plural)
tango (singular vocative)
tanga (plural vocative)


tango

att dansa tango

to tango ["to dance type of dance" is idiomatic in Swedish (including for dances that end in "-dans")]


foxtrot

The tango, the Texas Tommy, Walking the Dog, the one step, the fox trot, the shimmy, and all their out-growths, had their origin in the palaces of lust on the Barbary Coast of San Francisco.

1930, Jefferis & Nichols, Safe Counsel or Practical Eugenics, page 200:

A ballroom dance with a slow-slow-quick-quick rhythm.


foxtrot

foxtrot (nominative singular)
foxtroty (nominative plural)
foxtrotu (genitive singular)
foxtrotů (genitive plural)
foxtrotu (dative singular)
foxtrotům (dative plural)
foxtrot (accusative singular)
foxtroty (accusative plural)
foxtrote (singular vocative)
foxtroty (plural vocative)
foxtrotu (locative singular)
foxtrotech (locative plural)
foxtrotem (instrumental singular)
foxtroty (instrumental plural)


foxtrot

foxtrot (indefinite nominative singular)
foxtrots (genitive indefinite singular)
foxtroten (definite nominative singular)
foxtrotens (definite genitive singular)
foxtroter (indefinite nominative plural)
foxtroters (genitive indefinite plural)
foxtroterna (definite nominative plural)
foxtroternas (definite genitive plural)


lap dance

A asks Z, a child, to perform a lap dance on B while being recorded by A. […] A is guilty of an offence under this section by causing a child to engage in a sexual performance.

2023, Parliament of Malaysia, “Section 14, new section 15A, illustration (a)”, in Sexual Offences against Children (Amendment) Act 2023, archived from the original on 2023-06-21, page 9:

An erotic form of entertainment, typically at a men's club, where a naked or nearly-nude performer straddles a customer and moves in a rhythmic, sexual manner over his or her lap.


locomotion

en-noun

locomotion (usually uncountable, plural locomotions)

/ləʊ.kəˈməʊ.ʃən/

/ləʉ.kəˈməʉ.ʃən/

From French locomotion, from Latin locō (literally “from a place”) (ablative of locus (“place”)) + motionem (“motion, a moving”) (nominative mōtio), from Latin movēre, present active infinitive of moveō (“move; change, exchange, go in or out, quit”), from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- (“to move, drive”).

der

Mr. Motian's own tunes, folk-simple locomotions of straight melody, fast or slow, with acres of room for interpretation, have accounted for some of the mistier sets.

2005 February 7, Ben Ratliff, “New CD's”, in The New York Times:

(countable, often preceded by definite article) A dance, originally popular in the 1960s, in which the arms are used to mimic the motion of the connecting rods of a steam locomotive.


mazurka

Via German Mazurka and Russian мазу́рка (mazúrka), from Polish mazurek (“dance of the Masurian”), the Masurians being the inhabitants of Mazowsze (compare Medieval Latin Mazovia), an ancient cultural region in east-central Poland.

(music) A Polish folk dance in triple time, usually moderately fast, containing a heavy accent on the third beat and occasionally the second beat.


mazurka

mazurka (nominative singular)
mazurky (nominative plural)
mazurky (genitive singular)
mazurek (genitive plural)
mazurce (dative singular)
mazurkám (dative plural)
mazurku (accusative singular)
mazurky (accusative plural)
mazurko (singular vocative)
mazurky (plural vocative)
mazurce (locative singular)
mazurkách (locative plural)
mazurkou (instrumental singular)
mazurkami (instrumental plural)


czardas

czardas (indefinite nominative singular)
czardas (genitive indefinite singular)
czardasen (definite nominative singular)
czardasens (definite genitive singular)
czardaser (indefinite nominative plural)
czardasers (genitive indefinite plural)
czardaserna (definite nominative plural)
czardasernas (definite genitive plural)


calypso

en-noun

calypso (countable and uncountable, plural calypsos or calypsoes)

Originally Trinidad English, an alteration of kaiso, perhaps ultimately of African origin; Allsopp 1996 suggests Ibibio ka iso (“come on”), used to urge dancers on. The spelling reflects a later folk-etymological assimilation with the mythological name Calypso.

'How you does live, Mr. Wordsworth?' I asked him one day.
He said, 'You mean how I get money?'
When I nodded, he laughed in a crooked way.
He said, 'I sing calypsoes in the calypso season.'
'And that last you the rest of the year?'
'It is enough.'

1959, V. S. Naipaul, “B. Wordsworth”, in Miguel Street

A style of Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century. Its rhythms can be traced back to West African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th century.


calypso

calypso (indefinite nominative singular)
calypsos (genitive indefinite singular)
calypson (definite nominative singular)
calypsons (definite genitive singular)
calypsor (indefinite nominative plural)
calypsors (genitive indefinite plural)
calypsorna (definite nominative plural)
calypsornas (definite genitive plural)

en glad calypso om våren


rață

ro-noun

rață f (plural rațe, masculine equivalent rățoi)

rațe (plural)
equivalent rățoi (masculine)
rață (accusative indefinite nominative singular)
rața (accusative definite nominative singular)
rațe (accusative indefinite nominative plural)
rațele (accusative definite nominative plural)
rațe (indefinite singular)
raței (definite singular)
rațe (indefinite plural)
rațelor (definite plural)
rață (singular vocative)
rațo (singular vocative)
rațelor (plural vocative)

Definite origin uncertain. Possibly a substrate word, akin to Albanian rosë (< *ratsa?), or from South Slavic (compare Serbo-Croatian and Slovene raca, Serbian dialect race, Bulgarian ряца (rjaca)); compare also Friulian raze, Occitan rit, Hungarian réce, Romani ratsoy.

the music which accompanies the folk dance of the same name.


brâu

brâie (plural)
brâu (accusative indefinite nominative singular)
brâul (accusative definite nominative singular)
brâie (accusative indefinite nominative plural)
brâiele (accusative definite nominative plural)
brâu (indefinite singular)
brâului (definite singular)
brâie (indefinite plural)
brâielor (definite plural)
brâule (singular vocative)
brâielor (plural vocative)

A substrate word, akin to Albanian brez (or possibly derived from an earlier form of it; cf. the dialectal variant form); alternatively, from Latin brandeum.


brâu

brâuri (plural)
brâu (accusative indefinite nominative singular)
brâul (accusative definite nominative singular)
brâuri (accusative indefinite nominative plural)
brâurile (accusative definite nominative plural)
brâu (indefinite singular)
brâului (definite singular)
brâuri (indefinite plural)
brâurilor (definite plural)
brâule (singular vocative)
brâurilor (plural vocative)


hula

Under the rule of Kalākaua, they had revived the hula, which had been condemned by the missionaries.

2012, Julia Flynn Siler, Lost Kingdom, Grove Press, page 87:

A form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there.


hula

Borrowed from English hula, from Hawaiian hula.

hula; a form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there


hula

From Proto-Eastern Polynesian *fula (“to dance”) (compare with Maori hura (“to twitch”))

inh

a form of dance native to the Hawaiian Islands


bossa nova

en-noun

bossa nova (countable and uncountable, plural bossa novas)

/ˈbɒsə ˈnəʊvə/

From colloquial Brazilian Portuguese bossa (“inclination, propensity, trend”, literally “protuberance”) + nova (“new”).

bor

A genre of music originating from Brazil, similar to a fusion of jazz and samba music, no longer closely associated with the Brazilian dance.


bossa nova

bossa nova (nominative singular)
bossa novy (genitive singular)
bossa novie (dative singular)
bossa novę (accusative singular)
bossa novą (instrumental singular)
bossa novie (locative singular)
bossa novo (singular vocative)

Unadapted borrowing from Brazilian Portuguese bossa nova.


polka

Via French and German from Czech polka, variant of půlka (“half”) as in "half-step"; see půl (“half”).


polka

en-verb

polka (third-person singular simple present polkas, present participle polkaing, simple past and past participle polkaed)

polkas (present singular third-person)
polkaing (participle present)
polkaed (participle past)
polkaed (past)


polka

polka (nominative singular)
polky (nominative plural)
polky (genitive singular)
polek (genitive plural)
polce (dative singular)
polkám (dative plural)
polku (accusative singular)
polky (accusative plural)
polko (singular vocative)
polky (plural vocative)
polce (locative singular)
polkách (locative plural)
polkou (instrumental singular)
polkami (instrumental plural)

Variant of půlka (“half”) as in "half-step"; see půl (“half”).


polka

→ Ottoman Turkish: پولقه (polka)

Turkish: polka


polka

polkaen (definite singular)
polkaer (indefinite plural)
polkaene (definite plural)

Via German Polka or French polka from Czech polka and půlka


polka

polkaen (definite singular)
polkaer (indefinite plural)
polkaar (indefinite plural)
polkaene (definite plural)
polkaane (definite plural)


polka

poleczka (diminutive)
polka (nominative singular)
polki (nominative plural)
polki (genitive singular)
polek (genitive plural)
polce (dative singular)
polkom (dative plural)
polkę (accusative singular)
polki (accusative plural)
polką (instrumental singular)
polkami (instrumental plural)
polce (locative singular)
polkach (locative plural)
polko (singular vocative)
polki (plural vocative)

Borrowed from Czech polka. Doublet of półka.


vogue

en-noun

vogue (countable and uncountable, plural vogues)

First attested in 1565. Borrowed from Middle French vogue (“wave, course of success”), from Old French vogue, from voguer (“to row, sway, set sail”), from Old Saxon wogōn (“to sway, rock”), var. of wagōn (“to float, fluctuate”), from Proto-Germanic *wagōną (“to sway, fluctuate”) and Proto-Germanic *wēgaz (“water in motion”), from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to move, go, transport”) (compare way).
Akin to Old Saxon wegan (“to move”), Old High German wegan (“to move”), Old English wegan (“to move, carry, weigh”), Old Norse vaga (“to sway, fluctuate”), Old English wagian (“to sway, totter”), German Woge (“wave”), Swedish våg (“wave”). More at wag.
The dance derives its name from Vogue magazine.

cog

(dance) A highly stylized modern dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s.


smurf

1983: after the English name of The Smurfs, via Dutch smurf from French schtroumpf. See above.


brawl

en-verb

brawl (third-person singular simple present brawls, present participle brawling, simple past and past participle brawled)

brawls (present singular third-person)
brawling (participle present)
brawled (participle past)
brawled (past)

The verb is derived from Late Middle English braulen, brall, brallen (“to clamour, to shout; to quarrel; to boast”); further etymology is uncertain, but the word could be related to bray and ultimately imitative. It may be cognate with Danish bralle (“to chatter, jabber”), Dutch brallen (“to boast”), Low German brallen (“to brag”), Middle High German prālen (“to boast, flaunt”) (modern German prahlen (“to boast, flaunt, vaunt”)).
The noun is derived from Middle English brall, bralle, braul, braule, brawle (“disturbance, squabble; brawl”), from the verb braulen: see above.

cog

To day my Lord of Amiens, and my ſelfe, / Did ſteale behinde him as he lay along / Vnder an oake, whoſe anticke roote peepes out / Vpon the brooke that brawles along this wood, [...]

c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 190, column 1:

―When low-hung clouds each ſtar of ſummer hide, / And fireleſs are the valleys far and wide, / Where the brook brawls along the painful road, / Dark with bat haunted aſhes ſtretching broad, [...]

1793, W[illiam] Wordsworth, An Evening Walk. An Epistle; in Verse. […], London: Printed for J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC; republished as “The Female Beggar. From Wordsworth’s Evening Walk.”, in The Edinburgh Magazine, or Literary Miscellany, volume III (New Series), Edinburgh: Printed for James Symington […] and sold in London by H. Murray […], and W. Boag […], May 1794, →OCLC, page 387, column 1:

What seek we here / Amid this waste where desolation scowls, / And the red torrent, brawling down the linn, / Sings everlasting discord?

1814, J. H. Craig [pseudonym; James Hogg], The Hunting of Badlewe: A Dramatic Tale, London: H[enry] Colburn; Edinburgh: G. Goldie, →OCLC, page 1; quoted in “The Hunting of Badlewe, a Dramatic Tale. 8vo. Edin. 1814. [From the Scottish Review.]”, in The Analectic Magazine, Containing Selections from Foreign Reviews and Magazines, together with Original Miscellaneous Compositions, volume V (New Series), Philadelphia, Pa.: Published and sold by Moses Thomas, […], May 1815, →OCLC, pages 353–354:

(intransitive) Especially of a rapid stream running over stones: to make a loud, confused noise.


brawl

Possibly from French branler (“to shake”), from Old French brandeler (“to shake, wave; to agitate”), from brand, branc (“blade of a sword”), from Vulgar Latin *brandus (“firebrand; flaming sword; sword”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrenu- (“to burn”).

der

(intransitive, obsolete) To move to and fro, to quiver, to shake.


brawl

From French branle (“type of dance; an act of shaking, a shake”), from branler (“to shake”), from Old French brandeler (“to shake, wave; to agitate”); see further at etymology 2.
Alternatively, the word could be derived from brawl (“(obsolete) to move to and fro, quiver, shake”): see etymology 2.

(dance, obsolete) A type of dance move or step.

Boy. Maiſter, will you win your loue with a french braule? / Brag[gart]. How meaneſt thou? brawling in French. / Boy. No my complet Maiſter, but to Iigge off a tune at the tongues ende, canarie to it with your feete, humour it with turning vp your eylids, ſigh a note and ſing a note ſomtime through the throate, if you ſwallowed loue with ſinging loue [...]

c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

(dance, music, historical) Alternative form of branle (“dance of French origin dating from the 16th century, performed by couples in a circle or a line; the music for this dance”)


waltz

From German Walzer, from walzen (“to dance”), from Old High German walzan (“to turn”), from Proto-Germanic *walt- (“to turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn”). Doublet of valse. More at *waltaną.

Miss Esler and Mr. McMorrow went to Kalgoorlie to adjudicate at the goldfields waltz and quickstep championships, and found the standard of dancing surprisingly high.

1938 October 26, The Daily News, Perth, page 11, column 5:


waltz

waltz (nominative singular)
waltzy (nominative plural)
waltzu (genitive singular)
waltzů (genitive plural)
waltzu (dative singular)
waltzům (dative plural)
waltz (accusative singular)
waltzy (accusative plural)
waltze (singular vocative)
waltzy (plural vocative)
waltzu (locative singular)
waltzech (locative plural)
waltzem (instrumental singular)
waltzy (instrumental plural)


frug

She [...] loves to cook, sew and dance. She's up on all the latest steps like the frug, the hully-gully and the surf.

1964 July 15, The Australian, Sydney, page 20, column 3:

The snake did the frug, the monkey did the shake. The crowd, mostly young couples, tourists and kids, loved it.

1969, Allen V. Ross, Vice in Bombay, London: Tallis Press, page 52:

They were doing a modified frug, a dance Ruth had learned—and abandoned—in high school.

1990, T. Coraghessan Boyle, East is East: A Novel, Viking, →ISBN, page 166:

In telegraphic succession, the parents two-step, Charleston, lindy, twist, and frug, their dance harmony always splintered apart by their offspring.

1991, Marcia B. Siegel, Nathaniel Tileston, The Tail of the Dragon: New Dance, 1976–1982, Duke University Press, →ISBN, page 158:

(usually preceded by definite article) A dance derived from the twist, popular in the 1960s.


disko

Borrowed from English disco, clipping of discotheque, from French discothèque.


mosh

en-verb

mosh (third-person singular simple present moshes, present participle moshing, simple past and past participle moshed)

moshes (present singular third-person)
moshing (participle present)
moshed (participle past)
moshed (past)

Possibly an alteration or deformation of mash.

From 9 in the morning (when It Dies Today played the lot) until 9 at night (when Ozzy Osbourne led Black Sabbath on the main stage), hardy fans cheered and moshed and staggered through a stifling but often exciting day.

2005 July 28, Kelefa Sanneh, “Heat, Good Cheer, Jagged Music and Even Some Melody”, in New York Times:

(intransitive) To dance by intentionally jumping into and colliding with other, similarly behaving dancers, and performing other wild, aggressive, or spastic movements.

(transitive) To intentionally jump into and collide with another, similarly behaving dancer at a concert.


mosh

We had a great mosh at the gig.


haka

Leon Panetta
United States Secretary of Defense

Borrowed from Maori haka, from Proto-Polynesian *saka, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *sakaŋ. The word is cognate with Hawaiian haʻa (“dance”), Mangarevan ʻaka (“to perform a traditional dance; a usually warlike dance accompanied by a chant”), Rarotongan ʻaka (“dance”), Samoan saʻa (“dance”), Tokelauan haka (“dance”), Tongan haka (“hand action made while singing”).

cog

After each of my retinue were presented to the chief, partaking of the honour of the ougi, or salutation, the hákà, or dance of welcome, was performed; this was commenced by our entertainers, who placed themselves in an extended line, in ranks four deep. This dance, to a stranger witnessing it for the first time, is calculated to excite the most alarming fears; […]

1838, J[oel] S[amuel] Polack, chapter III, in New Zealand: Being a Narrative of Travels and Adventures during a Residence in that Country between the Years 1831 and 1837. … In Two Volumes, volume I, London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, publisher in ordinary to Her Majesty, →OCLC, page 81:

A "Haka" is the native dance, answering to the corroboree of the Australian aboriginals, and we were anxious to see it. […] Later in the evening, however, the complaisant Herekiekie entertained a small and select party at a "Haka" in his "whare" or house (pronounced wharry). It was exactly what I expected. The performers, all male, stood in a row, one, slightly advanced, acting as fugleman. They shouted and gesticulated with the most hideous and revolting gestures, grimaces, and yells.

1876 January, “A Week among the Maoris of Lake Taupo”, in The Cornhill Magazine, volume XXXIII, number 193, London: Smith, Elder & Co., 15 Waterloo Place, →OCLC, page 65:

[T]he children might get up and dance in the middle of their sums. Matawhero might stand up and lead a haka if I'm not careful. Oh dear.

1986, Sylvia Ashton-Warner, “Life in a Maori School”, in Teacher (A Touchstone Book), 1st Touchstone edition, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, pages 198 and 200:

An already febrile atmosphere within the ground before the start had been stoked still further when France's players formed an arrow formation to face down the haka, and then advanced slowly over halfway as the capacity crowd roared.

2011 October 23, Tom Fordyce, “2011 Rugby World Cup Final: New Zealand 8 – 7 France”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2017-04-03:

The Maori haka ritual has been made famous by the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team. Before each match, the All Blacks face their opponents and engage in a synchronized display of hand-slapping, feet-stomping, chest-pumping, tongue-wagging, and eye-popping chanting and dancing designed to intimidate their opponents. The All Blacks' version of the haka is called ka-mate, a war haka or peruperu. […] But hakas are not restricted to war; they are also used as a welcome to strangers, as part of a funeral, or as part of various celebrations and ceremonies.

2013, Matt J. Rossano, “Mountain Rituals”, in Mortal Rituals: What the Story of the Andes Survivors Tells Us about Human Evolution, New York, N.Y., Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, pages 105–106:

A group dance of New Zealand's Maori people featuring rhythmic chanting, vigorous facial and arm movements, and foot stamping. Traditionally a war dance, today it is also performed to welcome guests, as a mark of respect at occasions such as commemorations and funerals, as a challenge to opposing teams at sports events, and for artistic purposes.


haka

haka (nominative singular)
haky (nominative plural)
haky (genitive singular)
hak (genitive plural)
hace (dative singular)
hakám (dative plural)
haku (accusative singular)
haky (accusative plural)
hako (singular vocative)
haky (plural vocative)
hace (locative singular)
hakách (locative plural)
hakou (instrumental singular)
hakami (instrumental plural)

Haka k Novému Zélandu a některým jeho sportovním týmům neodmyslitelně patří, ale nejznámější je ve spojení právě s ragby. Sport známý svou tvrdostí získává slavným tancem, při němž hráči používají všemožné grimasy včetně vyplazování jazyka, tleskají, plácají se po stehnech a rytmicky zpívají, kouzlo, které uchvátilo davy fanoušků po celém světě.

2015 September 22, Pavel Jahoda, “Nejenom haka straší na MS soupeře. K vidění jsou i sipi tau či bole”, in ČT sport:

Haka is inseparable from rugby. The sport, which is known for rough play, gets another charm thanks to the dance, during which the players use various facial expressions including sticking out their tongues, clap their hands and slap their thighs.

haka (dance of New Zealand's Maori people featuring rhythmic chanting, vigorous facial and arm movements, and foot stamping.)


windmill

From Middle English wyndmylne, wyndmylle, equivalent to wind + mill. Cognate with Scots wyndmyln, wyndmyl, Saterland Frisian Wíendmäälne, West Frisian wynmûne, Dutch windmolen, Afrikaans windmeul, Dutch Low Saxon windmölle (Achterhooks), wiendmeule (Drents, Veluws), German Low German Windmöhl, German Windmühle, Danish vindmølle, Norwegian Bokmål vindmølle, Norwegian Nynorsk vindmølle, vindmylne, Swedish vindmölla, Icelandic vindmylla.

A child's toy consisting of vanes mounted on a stick that rotate when blown by a person or by the wind.


jitterbug

desctree

Japanese: ジルバ (jiruba)
Chinese: 吉魯巴／吉鲁巴 (jílǔbā)

/ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/

From jitter + bug, after the 1934 Cab Calloway song Jitter Bug.

(dance) An uptempo jazz or swing dance which embellishes on the two-step pattern and frequently incorporates acrobatic style swing steps.

Synonym of diddley bow (“type of stringed instrument”)


jitterbug

en-verb

jitterbug (third-person singular simple present jitterbugs, present participle jitterbugging, simple past and past participle jitterbugged)

jitterbugs (present singular third-person)
jitterbugging (participle present)
jitterbugged (participle past)
jitterbugged (past)

/ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/