Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DAN, n. [Sp. don. Qu. from dominus, or Ar. دَانَ dauna, to be chief, to judge, Heb. Ch. Syr. and Eth. דין. Class Dn, No. 2, 4.]

A title of honor equivalent to master; used by Shakspeare, Prior, &c., but now obsolete.

DANCE, n.

1. In a general sense, a leaping and frisking about. Appropriately, a leaping or stepping with motions of the body adjusted to the measure of a tune, particularly by two or more in concert. A lively brisk exercise or amusement, in which the movements of the persons are regulated by art, in figure, and by the sound of instruments, in measure.
2. A tune by which dancing is regulated, as the minuet, the waltz, the cotillon, &c.

DANCE, v.i. [Fr. danser; Sp. danzar; Port. dançar; Arm. dançzal; It. danzare; G. tanzen; Sw. dansa; Dan. dandser; D. danssen; Basque danzta; Russ. tantzyu. Qu. the radical letters, and the Oriental דןץ, with a casual n.]

1. Primarily, to leap or spring; hence, to leap or move with measured steps, regulated by a tune, sung or played on a musical instrument; to leap or step with graceful motions of the body, corresponding with the sound of the voice or of an instrument. There is a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Eccles. iii.
2. To leap and frisk about; to move nimbly or up and down. To dance attendance, to wait with obsequiousness; to strive to please and gain favor by assiduous attentions and officious civilities; as, to dance attendance at court.

DANCE, v.t.

To make to dance; to move up and down, or back and forth; to dandle; as, to dance a child on the knee. Bacon.

DANC'ED, pp.

Moved up and down, backward or forward, in measured steps.

DANC'ER, n.

One who practices dancing, or is skillful in the performance.

DANC'ING, ppr.

Leaping and stepping to the sound of the voice or of an instrument; moving in measured steps; frisking about.

DANC'ING-MAS-TER, n.

One who teaches the art of dancing.

DANC'ING-SCHOOL, n.

A school in which the art of dancing is taught.

DAN'DE-LION, n. [Fr. dent de lion, lion's tooth.]

A well known plant of the genus Leontodon, having a naked stalk, with one large flower.

DAN'DER, v.i.

To wander about; to talk incoherently.

DAN'DI-PRAT, n. [Fr. dandin, a ninny; It. dondolone, a loiterer; dondolo, any thing swinging; dondolare, to swing, to loiter. The Sp. and Port. tonto, a dolt, may be of the same family. Qu. prat.]

A little fellow; an urchin: a word of fondness or contempt. Johnson.

DAN'DLE, v.t. [G. tändeln, to toy, to trifle, to lounge, to dandle; Fr. dandiner, to jog; It. dondolare, to swing, to loiter; Sp. and Port. tontear, to dote, to talk nonsense; Scot. dandill, dander. These words seem to be allied.]

1. To shake or jolt on the knee, as an infant; to move up and down in the land; literally, to amuse by play. Ye shall be dandled on her knees. Is. lxvi.
2. To fondle; to amuse; to treat as a child; to toy with. I am ashamed to be dandled thus. Addison.
3. To delay; to protract by trifles. [Obs.] Spenser.

DAN'DLED, pp.

Danced on the knee, or in the arms; fondled; amused by trifles or play.

DAN'DLER, n.

One who dandles or fondles children.

DAND'LING, n.

Act of fondling, or jolting on the knee.

DAN'DLING, ppr.

Shaking and jolting on the knee; moving about in play or for amusement, as an infant.

DAN-DRUF, n. [Qu. Sax. tan, a scab, tetter, and drof, sordid; or Fr. teigne, Arm. tign, or taign.]

A scurf which forms on the head, and comes off in small scales or particles.

DAN'DY, n. [Fr. dandin, a ninny, a silly fellow.]

In modern usage, a male of the human species, who dresses himself like a doll, and who carries his character on his back.

DAN'DY-ISH, a.

Like a dandy.

DAN'DY-ISM, n.

The manners and dress of a dandy.

DANE, n.

A native of Denmark.

DANE'GELT, n. [Dane and gelt, geld, money.]

In England, an annual tax formerly laid on the English nation, for maintaining forces to oppose the Danes, or to furnish tribute to procure peace. It was at first one shilling, and afterward two, for every hide of land, except such as belonged to the church. Encyc.

DANE'WORT, n.

A plant of the genus Sambucus; a species of elder, called dwarf-elder or wall-wort.

DAN'GER, n. [Fr. Arm. Scot. danger; Norm. daungerous, dubious. This word in Scottish, according to Jamieson, signifies peril, power, or dominion, doubt, hesitation. In Chaucer, it signifies peril, and coyness, sparingness or custody. In old English laws, it denotes a payment in money by forest tenants, to their lord, for permission to plow and sow in the time of pannage or mast-feeding. The primary sense is not obvious. Spenser has the following couplet. Valiant he should be as fire, / Showing danger more than ire.]

Peril; risk; hazard; exposure to injury, loss, pain, or other evil. It is easy to boast of despising death, when there is no danger. Our craft is in danger to be set at naught. Acts xix.