Meaning & use
Irish dance
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A traditional style of dance from Ireland, known for quick, precise foot movements and a mostly still upper body.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the art form: She teaches Irish dance. Countable when referring to a single performance or piece: They performed an Irish dance.
Patterns
- traditional Irish dance
- perform an Irish dance
- Irish dance competition
She has been studying Irish dance since she was six years old.
The festival included a lively Irish dance that delighted the crowd.
He won a medal in an Irish dance competition last summer.
nouncountable
A social event or party where people do Irish dances.
Grammar: Often used in the plural: They go to Irish dances every weekend.
Patterns
- go to an Irish dance
- hold an Irish dance
The community center is holding an Irish dance on Friday night.
We met at an Irish dance in Boston.
Word forms
| plural | Irish dances |
|---|
Common combinations
- traditional Irish dance
- Traditional Irish dance often features rapid footwork.
- Irish dance class
- She signed up for an Irish dance class at the local studio.
- Irish dance performance
- The Irish dance performance received a standing ovation.
- Irish dance competition
- He has been training for the Irish dance competition for months.
Synonyms and how they differ
- step dance
- A broader term for dance styles that emphasize footwork; Irish dance is a specific tradition within that.
Word family
- Irish dancer noun
- A person who performs Irish dance.
Commonly confused: Irish dance or Scottish dance?
Irish dance vs Scottish dance
Scottish dance is a different tradition with its own steps and music, though it also involves precise footwork.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Irish dance' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Irish dance' is a noun phrase for the dance style, so 'learning Irish dance' is correct. Option 1 is wrong because 'Irish dance' is not a verb; option 2 confuses it with a music concert; option 3 uses it as if it were food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Irish dance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.