sword dance

noun

1
: a dance performed by men in a circle holding a sword in the right hand and grasping the tip of a neighbor's sword in the left hand
2
: a dance performed over or around swords
sword dancer noun

Examples of sword dance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The monarchs returned the favor with fighter-jet escorts of Air Force One, sword dances and state dinners in opulent palaces. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 May 2025 The Saudis rolled out the red carpet for his arrival, greeting him at the airport with a military jet flyover and later awarding him a gold medal -- the nation's top civilian honor -- and treating him to a traditional sword dance. Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 12 May 2025 Trump chose Saudi Arabia as his first foreign travel destination, accepting a thick gold medal from the king, swaying along to a sword dance and touching a giant glowing orb as part of a lavish extravaganza that became emblematic of his fealty to the kingdom. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2022 That trip was highlighted by a mystifying photo op of the leaders gathered around a glowing orb and Trump briefly joining a ceremonial sword dance. Ellen Knickmeyer, Chris Megerian, Aamer Madhani, Anchorage Daily News, 15 July 2022 That visit was highlighted by the leaders gathered around a glowing orb and Trump briefly joining a ceremonial sword dance. Aamer Madhani, BostonGlobe.com, 15 July 2022 Highland dance competitions include the Highland Fling, Scottish Reel, Ghillie Callum solo sword dance, and Sailor’s Hornpipe, along with the Scottish Lilt and Flora MacDonald’s Fancy, one of the Scottish National dances. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2022 As part of the celebration, men and boys were already updating a traditional sword dance with new break-dance moves. New York Times, 24 Apr. 2022 Meanwhile, Hitch did a kind of verbal sword dance around me. Margaret Atwood, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sword dance was in 1604

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Cite this Entry

“Sword dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sword%20dance. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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