Definition

1. Noun:
   • A ceremonial dance involving snakes: A ritual dance, particularly associated with the Hopi and some other Native American peoples, in which live snakes are handled or symbolically invoked as part of a religious ceremony to pray for rain.
   • A procession in a winding, single-file line: A formation or movement of a group of people advancing in a long, winding, single-file line that resembles the motion of a snake.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Ceremonial Dance):

  • The Hopi tribe performed the ancient snake dance as a plea for rain and a celebration of the earth.
  • Anthropologists have studied the symbolism and rituals of the snake dance for decades.

• Noun (Serpentine Procession):

  • The winning team's fans did a joyful snake dance around the stadium.
  • The protesters formed a snake dance that wound its way through the city streets.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any long, winding, and continuous line or movement.
  • The traffic jam created a slow-moving snake dance of cars along the highway.

Variants and Related Words

• Snake dancer (n): A person who performs in a snake dance.
• Serpentine (adj): Having a winding, snake-like shape or movement.

Synonyms

• Ceremonial dance: Ritual dance, rite.
• Single-file procession: Line, file, column, parade.

Related Idioms

• While not a phrasal verb, the concept is related to the idiom "snake its way", meaning to move in a long, winding path.
  • The river snakes its way through the valley.

Noun

1. a ceremonial dance (as by the Hopi) in which snakes are handled or invoked
2. a group advancing in a single-file serpentine path