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Glite Dictionary
dancing-master

dancing-master

1 8.9
A person who teaches dancing for formal or social events
  • noun
  • /ˈdænsɪŋ ˈmæstər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : maestro de baile
  • A ballroom dancing master and a harp teacher must be engaged.

Examples

  • My first time underground, four different fairy men led me out to dance, each teaching me more than any of my father's dancing masters ever had.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Didn't you say you're a dancing master?

    The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)

  • Early in the history of the academy, Rowson employed a professor of music, a French teacher, a penmanship teacher, and a dancing master from France (Nason 1870, 102-103).

    Academic text (1998)

  • The dancing master taught us the intricate steps for the upcoming ball.

  • After months of lessons, the dancing master praised her progress in ballet.

  • The students eagerly gathered around the dancing master to learn the latest social dance.

Synonyms

dance master
vsdancing-master
1 5.3

A person who teaches formal dances like ballet and the waltz

teaches dance mainly for social and formal occasions rather than classical training

How Skilled

dancing-master
  • Archaic
1 8.9
assistant
833 1.0
beginner
81 1.0

Surface Forms

dancing-master singular
dancing-masters plural

Morphology

dancing-master = dancing + master (transparent) = dancing + master

A straightforward compound of 'dancing' (the activity) + 'master' (teacher), so the meaning 'teacher of dancing' is directly deducible.

Etymology

Dancing-master joins dancing and master, where master means 'teacher' or 'expert'. So, a dancing-master was literally someone who taught dance steps and became the usual name for a professional dance teacher, especially for formal or social dances.