noun
Barnaby
Barnaby (noun) means Historical: a brisk, energetic country dance, or by extension any quick, jerky movement. Example: “The fiddler struck up a barnaby and the dancers spun across the floor.”
noun
1
Historical: a brisk, energetic country dance, or by extension any quick, jerky movement.
"It was a regular Barnaby dance; I'd never seen anyone move so quickly. Before the culprit bolted out the door into the night,"
— Gregory Sass, Redcoat (1985)
""Owell gave me this. Said to get it to you in a Barnaby dance. 'Ere it is." His tongue scraped across his lower lip as he stared at Charity."
— Jo Ann Ferguson, Miss Charity's Case (1996)
"We were now doing a strange sort of Barnaby dance: shuffling to and fro as I blocked his attempts to set off in pursuit."
— Julia Golding, The Diamond of Drury Lane (2009)
"The fiddler struck up a barnaby and the dancers spun across the floor."
How to use Barnaby
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old term for a fast, lively dance.
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The fiddler struck up a _____ and the dancers spun across the floor.
Etymology
The given name Barnaby comes from Barnabas, ultimately from Aramaic bar nəḇiyyā, "son of a prophet."
Rhymes for Barnaby
See all rhymes for Barnaby →Frequently asked questions
What does “Barnaby” mean?
The word “Barnaby” means historical: a brisk, energetic country dance, or by extension any quick, jerky movement. In plain terms, an old term for a fast, lively dance.
How do you use “Barnaby” in a sentence?
Here is “Barnaby” used in a sentence: “The fiddler struck up a barnaby and the dancers spun across the floor.”
What part of speech is “Barnaby”?
“Barnaby” is a noun.
Where does the word “Barnaby” come from?
The word “Barnaby” comes from Aramaic. The given name Barnaby comes from Barnabas, ultimately from Aramaic bar nəḇiyyā, "son of a prophet.".
