noun
polka
POL-kuh
noun
1
A lively couple dance in duple time that originated in Bohemia, or the brisk music written for it.
"The band struck up a polka and the whole hall started dancing."
"Grandpa still knows how to polka."
How to Use Polka
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fast, bouncy folk dance (and its music) from Central Europe, still popular at weddings and festivals.
Common pairings
dance a polka
polka band
polka dot
Word Forms
polkaed past tense, polkas plural, Polkas plural, polkas singular
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Etymology
From Czech polka, likely a shortening of půlka ("half-step"), referring to the dance's quick half-steps; possibly reinforced by the word for a Polish woman.