noun
hoedown
HOH-down
Hoedown (noun) means a lively social gathering featuring American folk or square dancing. Example: “The whole town turned out for the county hoedown.”
noun
1
A lively social gathering featuring American folk or square dancing.
"The whole town turned out for the county hoedown."
"Soon Marshall is doing an elaborate foot-to-foot jig, and then they're all bounding around. Shoulder dips. Yee-ha faces. It's an impromptu hoedown."
— Tom Lamont, The Guardian (2012)
2
The upbeat folk music typically played at such an event.
"The fiddler struck up a fast hoedown tune."
How to use hoedown
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA country-style dance party, or the fast folk music played at one.
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Word forms
- Plural
- hoedowns
- Third person singular
- hoedowns
- Past tense
- hoedowned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The whole town turned out for the county _____.
Etymology
An Americanism from the mid-1800s, likely referring to farm workers putting down their hoes once the workday was over to socialize and dance.
Class of 1800
hoedown joined the language around 1800.
See the full Class of 1800 →
Rhymes for hoedown
See all rhymes for hoedown →Frequently asked questions
What does “hoedown” mean?
The word “hoedown” means a lively social gathering featuring American folk or square dancing. In plain terms, a country-style dance party, or the fast folk music played at one.
How do you pronounce “hoedown”?
“Hoedown” is pronounced HOH-down (/ˈhoʊdaʊn/ in IPA).
How do you use “hoedown” in a sentence?
Here is “hoedown” used in a sentence: “The whole town turned out for the county hoedown.”
What part of speech is “hoedown”?
“Hoedown” is a noun.
Where does the word “hoedown” come from?
The word “hoedown” dates back to around 1800. An Americanism from the mid-1800s, likely referring to farm workers putting down their hoes once the workday was over to socialize and dance.
How many meanings does “hoedown” have?
“Hoedown” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a lively social gathering featuring American folk or square dancing.
