dancing-girl

A dancing-girl performs a graceful routine on a brightly lit stage.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A woman or girl who performs a dance, especially as a professional entertainer in a public venue such as a theatre, nightclub, or festival.
   • (Historical usage) A female dancer in a traditional or cultural setting, often associated with entertainment in specific regions or eras.

Usage Examples

• (Female dancers at a public event.)
• (A professional dancer in a historical context.)
• (A professional performer in a nightclub.)

Advanced Usage

• "dancing-girl" as a compound noun: The term is used as a single lexical item, typically with a hyphen, to denote a specific role or profession. It is not interchangeable with "girl who dances" in casual contexts, as it implies a formal or professional status.
  • The dancing-girl captivated the audience with her graceful movements. (A professional dancer performing on stage.)
• Cultural specificity: In some contexts, "dancing-girl" may refer to a performer in a particular cultural tradition, such as a temple dancer in ancient India or a geisha in Japan, though this usage is now considered outdated or potentially offensive.
  • The term "dancing-girl" was historically used in colonial literature to describe Indian devadasis. (A historical and culturally specific reference.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dancer (n): a person who dances, either professionally or for pleasure. (More general than "dancing-girl.")
  • The dancer performed a solo piece at the ballet. (A performer, male or female.)
• Dancing (adj): relating to or used for dancing.
  • She wore a dancing dress for the ball. (A dress suitable for dancing.)
• Dance (v/n): the activity or art of moving rhythmically to music.
  • They love to dance at parties. (Verb) / She studied dance for years. (Noun)

Synonyms

• Dancer: a person who dances, especially professionally. (Gender-neutral and more modern.)
• Entertainer: a person who performs for an audience, such as a singer or dancer. (Broader term.)
• Ballerina: a female ballet dancer. (Specific to ballet.)
• Coryphée: a lead dancer in a ballet company. (Formal term.)

Related Idioms

• "To dance to someone's tune": to do what someone else demands or expects.
  • The manager expects everyone to dance to his tune without question. (To comply obediently.)
• "To dance on air": to be extremely happy.
  • She was dancing on air after receiving the award. (To be elated.)
• "To lead someone a dance": to cause someone trouble or difficulty.
  • The mischievous child led his parents a dance all day. (To cause problems.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Dance away: to spend time dancing or to dispel something by dancing.
  • They danced away the night at the festival. (To spend time dancing.)
• Dance off: to leave or move away while dancing.
  • He danced off the stage after his performance. (To exit while dancing.)