corn dance
- noun
- US
:
danza del maíz
- The tribe performed the corn dance to pray for a fruitful harvest this season.
Examples
-
The ballplay was neglected and the green-corn dance proscribed, while the heroic tradition of former days became a fading memory or a tale to amuse a child.
Academic text (2011) -
During the festival, the elders taught the children the steps of the corn dance.
-
As the sun set, the community gathered to celebrate with the vibrant corn dance.
Synonyms
3
7.5
A traditional dance people do to ask for rain
1
5.8
A dance performed during a religious or traditional ceremony
1
4.2
A dance done during a religious or ritual ceremony to show respect
A dance done during religious or ceremonial events like weddings and funerals
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'corn dance' is transparently built from 'corn' (maize) + 'dance' (a choreographed movement), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a dance connected with corn—typically a harvest or ceremonial dance. Cultural specifics (e.g., that it may be a rain/harvest ritual among particular Native American peoples) require background knowledge, but the basic meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The corn dance comes from ceremonies where people danced and sang to ask for rain and help the corn grow. That's why the phrase refers to a traditional ceremony to ensure a 'good corn harvest'.