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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."
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 notes

In plain EnglishA country-style dance party, or the fast folk music played at one.

Word forms

hoedowned past tense, hoedowns plural, hoedowns singular

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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.

· First attested 1800

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.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial