strathspey
9.9
A Scottish dance and music with a slow then quick rhythm
- noun
- /ˈstræθˌspeɪ/
- UK
:
strathspey
- There's no J. Scott Skinner arpeggiated strathspeys here, and there are some tunes that hardly sound Scottish at all, like the beautiful slow tune "Tomnahurich."
Examples
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The band played several traditional Scottish strathspeys, filling the hall with rhythmic music.
-
At the festival, we enjoyed watching dancers perform a lively strathspey that captivated the audience.
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During the dance lesson, the instructor emphasized the importance of following the beat in each strathspey.
Synonyms
traditional dance
vsstrathspey
1
2.8
A dance from a community that people learn from their grandparents
is specific to Scotland and highlights a distinctive rhythmic music element
How Lively
Surface Forms
strathspey singular
strathspeys plural
Etymology
Strathspey is named after a place in Scotland: strath means 'wide valley' and Spey is the name of a river. So the music and dance are 'from the valley of the Spey', which is why the word refers to that particular Scottish dance and its rhythm.