country dancing
- noun
- /ˈkʌntri ˈdænsɪŋ/
- UK
- Every Friday night, the community center hosts an event for country dancing, attracting many enthusiastic participants.
Examples
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The atmosphere is further enhanced by the scenes of English country dancing.
Blog text (3) -
In anticipation of a pleasurable evening of Scottish country dancing, nearly everyone had turned out in full Highland dress.
Fiction book (1991) -
I also danced square dancing, Scottish country dancing, ballroom dancing... all vigorous exercise by themselves.
Blog text (4) -
During the festival, we joined a group of friends for some lively country dancing in the park.
-
They enjoyed country dancing together, moving in sync as they paired up with other couples.
Synonyms
A country dance with four couples in a square led by a caller
A country dance for four couples who face each other and follow a caller
A dance from a community that people learn from their grandparents
A traditional folk dance where couples stand in sets or lines and do the same steps to music
A lively folk dance with couples in lines doing set steps
A traditional dance where couples form two facing lines and follow a set of steps
A country dance with couples in two long lines facing each other
A country dance where two lines of couples face each other and do lively steps
To dance in a traditional style from a region
Dances that people in a region pass down over time
How Traditional
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'country' (rural/traditional) with 'dancing' (moving rhythmically to music); it denotes dancing associated with rural or folk traditions. This noun+gerund composition is compositional and cross‑linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely understand the MWE.
Etymology
Country dancing comes from the simple dances people in the country did long ago, with couples standing in lines and moving together while dancing. That's why country dancing today means 'traditional folk dances' where people dance together in groups.