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  1. morris dance love

Definitions

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A dance of persons in costume, especially of persons wearing hoods and dresses tagged with bells; also, any mumming performance in which dancing played a conspicuous part. Thus, the morris-dancers of May-day commonly represented the personages of the Robin Hood legend; the hobby-horse was a prominent character in morris-dancing of every description.
  2. n. A kind of country-dance still popular in the north of England. The music for all these dances was, so far as is known, in duple time.
  3. n. Also called Morisco, Moor-dance, and formerly Moresque dance.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A traditional English folk dance performed by a team of costumed dancers, often men but also men and women together or women only, who often wield sticks or handkerchiefs.
  2. v. To perform in such a dance

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. See Morris.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. any of various English folk dances performed by dancers in costume

Etymologies

  1. Thought to be from Moorish + dance. The German Moriskentanz is cognate. (Wiktionary)

Examples

  • ““I take it that this morris dance — cum-sword-dance-cum-mumming play — forgive me if I’ve got the terms muddled — is a survival of some such practice?””

    Death of a Fool

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hypernyms (2)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. folk dancing
  1. folk dance

reverse dictionary (10)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. morris
  2. Morisco
  1. morris-dancing
  2. Maid Marian
  1. morris-bells
  2. morris-dancer
  1. hobbyhorse
  2. morris dancer
  1. hobby-horse
  2. malkin

tags (3)

Free-form, user-generated categorization

  1. dance
  1. spring
  1. pagan

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Comments

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  • dontcry That's funny, the same citation reminds me of "what the hell was THAT?" May 2, 2008

  • sarra the below citation reminds me of hearing English words on Indian television! (the more 'hip' a programme, the more English vocabulary creeps in, I think) May 2, 2008

  • travismcdermott 1458 Will of Alice Wetenhale (P.R.O.: PROB. 11/4) f. 205v, Lego Caterine filie mee..iij ciphos argenti sculptos cum moreys daunce cum unico cooperculo ad eosdem. May 1, 2008

  • chained_bear Yup. Check out some wiggy videos on YouTube. Jan 20, 2008

  • treeseed Morris dance is an ancient form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Sticks, swords and handkerchiefs are also used. Mummers often accompany Morris dancers. It is traditionally part of May Day celebration. It has become a part of Beltane celebration in some forms of modern Wicca ritual. Jan 20, 2008

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‘morris dance’ has been looked up 3996 times, loved by 1 person, added to 5 lists, commented on 5 times, and is not a valid Scrabble word.