danse macabre

French noun phrase

danse ma·​ca·​bre däⁿs-mä-käbrᵊ How to pronounce danse macabre (audio)
: macabre dance : dance of death

Note: In the medieval period, the dance macabre was a literary or pictorial representation of a procession or dance of both living and dead figures expressing the medieval allegorical concept of the all-conquering and equalizing power of death.

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Cite this Entry

“Danse macabre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/danse%20macabre. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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