sun-dance
Definition
Noun: A ceremonial dance performed by certain Native American peoples, especially the Plains Indians, as a ritual to honor the sun, often involving fasting, self-sacrifice, and prayers for renewal or good fortune.
Usage Examples
- (A ritual dance honoring the sun.)
- (A ceremonial practice involving endurance.)
Advanced Usage
"to perform a sun-dance": to carry out the ritual dance.
- The elders led the community in performing a sun-dance to seek blessings for the harvest. (To conduct the ceremonial dance.)
"sun-dance ceremony": the full ritual context surrounding the dance.
- The sun-dance ceremony includes singing, drumming, and periods of prayer. (The complete religious event.)
Variants and Related Words
Sun-dancer (n): a person who participates in a sun-dance.
- The sun-dancers prepared for the ritual with weeks of purification. (A participant in the ceremony.)
Sun-dancing (n): the activity or practice of performing a sun-dance.
- Sun-dancing is a central tradition among many Plains tribes. (The act of engaging in the ritual.)
Synonyms
- Ritual dance: a dance performed as part of a religious or ceremonial practice.
- Ceremonial dance: a dance with symbolic meaning in a cultural tradition.
Related Idioms
"Dance with the sun": a poetic expression for engaging in a sun-dance or similar solar ritual.
- The shaman said he would dance with the sun to bring rain. (To perform a sun-dance for a specific purpose.)
"Sun-dance of the soul": a metaphorical reference to a personal spiritual trial or renewal.
- His journey through grief was a sun-dance of the soul. (A difficult but transformative experience.)