noun
hoedown
HOH-down/ˈhəʊdaʊn/
A lively social dance gathering with country or folk music.
The dancers step energetically to the fiddler’s music at the hoedown.
Etymology
The hoe in hoedown may allude to dance movements resembling farm chores. Apparently first the name of a particular dance, the word came to denote a lively social dance more generally.
In context
Leaning left. Clap three times. Shake it out. Head to toe. Throw it all together. That's how we roll. Do the hoedown.
More examples
- A fiddle band played at the hoedown.
- She learned the dance steps during the community hoedown.
- The festival ended with a lively hoedown.
Forms
hoedown · hoedowns
Similar words
- barn dance
- A barn dance is a similar social gathering; hoedown emphasizes lively country or folk dancing.
- square dance
- Square dance is a particular dance form; hoedown names the broader event or style of gathering.