[f. COUNTRY + DANCE, lit. a dance of the country. On its introduction into France the name was perverted to contre-danse, which has been erroneously assumed to be the original form: see CONTRE-DANCE.]
a. A dance practised by country-people, usually in the open air. b. esp. a generic name for all English dances of rural or native origin (already in 17th c. contrasted with French dances); specifically, applied to dances in which an indefinite number of couples stand up face to face in two long lines, as in the well-known Sir Roger de Coverley.
1579. E. K., Gloss. Spenser’s Sheph. Cal., June, 27. Haydeguies, A country daunce or rownd.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 181. The courant hath twice so much in a straine, as the English country daunce.
1611. Cotgr., Cordace, a kind of countrey daunce.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., ciii. Peasants … can advance At best, noe higher then a Countrey Dance.
1650. Weldon, Crt. K. James, 134. Because they could not learn the French Dances so soon as to be in gay Clothes, Country Dances must be in the garb of the Court.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 2, ¶ 1. Sir Roger de Coverley. His Great Grand-father was Inventor of that famous Country-Dance which is called after him.
1755. Johnson, Hornpipe, a country dance, danced commonly to a horn.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, viii. Country-dances being low, were utterly proscribed.
1842. Q. Victoria, Journ. Life Highlands (1868), 36. We danced one country dance—I with Lord Willoughby—and Albert with Lady Carington.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, II. viii. A merry country dance was going on … and new couples joined in every minute, till there were a hundred of them going down the middle and up again.
fig. 1730. Fielding, Tom Thumb, II. iv. A country-dance of joy is in your face.
Hence Country-dance v. (nonce-wd.), Country-dancer, Country-dancing vbl. sb.
1711. Budgell, Spect., No. 67, ¶ 6. I was very much pleased … with that Part … which he called French Dancing.… After this Part was over, they began a Diversion which they call Country Dancing. Ibid., ¶ 16. As for Country Dancing … as [it] is the particular Invention of our own Country … I would not Discountenance it.
1741. H. Walpole, Lett. H. Mann, 2 Nov. I country-danced till four.
1751. Eliza Heywood, Betsy Thoughtless, III. 39. She … also gave him an invitation to ’squire her to a country-dancing.
1798. Jane Austen, Northang. Abb. (1833), I. x. 56. The cotillions were over, the country-dancing beginning.
a. 1852. T. Moore, Country Dance & Quad., v. 20. Here … I … spite of some few dandy lancers, Who vainly try to preach Quadrille—See nought but true-blue country-dancers.
