4 N‑COUNT A dance is a social event where people dance with each other. □ …the school dance.
5 N‑UNCOUNT Dance is the activity of performing dances, as a public entertainment or an art form. □ She loves dance, drama and music. □ …dance classes.
6 VERB If you dance a particular kind of dance, you do it or perform it. □ [V n] Then we put the music on, and we all danced the Charleston.
7 VERB If you dance somewhere, you move there lightly and quickly, usually because you are happy or excited. [LITERARY ] □ [V adv/prep] He danced off down the road.
8 VERB If you say that something dances , you mean that it moves about, or seems to move about, lightly and quickly. [LITERARY ] □ [V adv/prep] Light danced on the surface of the water.
9 to dance to someone's tune → see tune
10 to make a song and dance about → see song and dance
da nce floor (dance floors ) also dancefloor N‑COUNT In a restaurant or night club, the dance floor is the area where people can dance.
da nce hall (dance halls ) N‑COUNT Dance halls were large rooms or buildings where people used to pay to go and dance, usually in the evening. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
danc|er /dɑː nsə r , dæ ns-/ (dancers )
1 N‑COUNT A dancer is a person who earns money by dancing, or a person who is dancing. □ His previous girlfriend was a dancer with the Royal Ballet.
2 N‑COUNT [adj N ] If you say that someone is a good dancer or a bad dancer , you are saying how well or badly they can dance. □ He was the best dancer in LA.
da nce stu|dio (dance studios ) N‑COUNT A dance studio is a place where people pay to learn how to dance.
danc|ing ◆◇◇ /dɑː ns I ŋ, dæ ns-/ N‑UNCOUNT When people dance for enjoyment or to entertain others, you can refer to this activity as dancing . □ All the schools have music and dancing as part of the curriculum. □ Let's go dancing tonight. □ …dancing shoes.
dan|de|lion /dæ nd I la I ən/ (dandelions ) N‑COUNT A dandelion is a wild plant which has yellow flowers with lots of thin petals. When the petals of each flower drop off, a fluffy white ball of seeds grows.
dan|druff /dæ ndrʌf/ N‑UNCOUNT Dandruff is small white pieces of dead skin in someone's hair, or fallen from someone's hair. □ He has very bad dandruff.
dan|dy /dæ ndi/ (dandies )
1 N‑COUNT A dandy is a man who thinks a great deal about his appearance and always dresses in smart clothes.
2 ADJ If you say that something is dandy , you mean it is good or just right. [AM , INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ]
Dane /de I n/ (Danes ) N‑COUNT A Dane is a person who comes from Denmark.
dan|ger ◆◆◇ /de I ndʒə r / (dangers )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Danger is the possibility that someone may be harmed or killed. □ My friends endured tremendous danger in order to help me. □ His life could be in danger.
2 N‑COUNT A danger is something or someone that can hurt or harm you. □ [+ of ] …the dangers of smoking. □ [+ to ] Britain's roads are a danger to cyclists.
3 N‑SING [N that] If there is a danger that something unpleasant will happen, it is possible that it will happen. □ There is a real danger that some people will no longer be able to afford insurance.
4 PHRASE If someone who has been seriously ill is out of danger , they are still ill, but they are not expected to die.
dan|ger|ous ◆◆◇ /de I ndʒərəs/ ADJ If something is dangerous , it is able or likely to hurt or harm you. □ It's a dangerous stretch of road. □ …dangerous drugs. □ It's dangerous to jump to early conclusions. ● dan|ger|ous|ly ADV [oft ADV after v] □ He is dangerously ill. □ The coach rocked dangerously.
dan|gle /dæ ŋg ə l/ (dangles , dangling , dangled )
1 VERB If something dangles from somewhere or if you dangle it somewhere, it hangs or swings loosely. □ [V prep/adv] A gold bracelet dangled from his left wrist. □ [V n prep/adv] He and I were sitting out on his jetty dangling our legs in the water. [Also V , V n]
2 VERB If you say that someone is dangling something attractive before you, you mean they are offering it to you in order to try to influence you in some way. □ [V n + before/in front of ] They've dangled rich rewards before me.
Dan|ish /de I n I ʃ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Danish means relating to or belonging to Denmark, or to its people, language, or culture.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Danish is the language spoken in Denmark.
Da n|ish pa s|try (Danish pastries ) N‑COUNT Danish pastries are cakes made from sweet pastry. They are often filled with things such as apple or almond paste.
dank /dæŋ k/ ADJ A dank place, especially an underground place such as a cave, is unpleasantly damp and cold. □ The kitchen was dank and cheerless.
dap|per /dæ pə r / ADJ A man who is dapper has a very neat and clean appearance, and is often also small and thin. □ …a dapper little man.
dap|pled /dæ p ə ld/ ADJ [ADJ n] You use dappled to describe something that has dark or light patches on it, or that is made up of patches of light and shade. □ …a dappled horse. □ [+ with/by/in ] The path was dappled with sunlight.
dare ◆◇◇ /deə r / (dares , daring , dared ) Dare sometimes behaves like an ordinary verb, for example 'He dared to speak' and 'He doesn't dare to speak' and sometimes like a modal, for example 'He daren't speak'. 1 VERB If you do not dare to do something, you do not have enough courage to do it, or you do not want to do it because you fear the consequences. If you dare to do something, you do something which requires a lot of courage. □ [V to-inf] Most people hate Harry but they don't dare to say so. □ [V inf] We have had problems in our family that I didn't dare tell Uncle. ● MODAL Dare is also a modal. □ Dare she risk staying where she was? □ The government dare not raise interest rates again. □ 'Are you coming with me?'—'I can't, Alice. I daren't.'