Definitions
01performer or hobbyist
A1 · Beginner Countable noun
n. someone who moves their body to music, especially as a job or a serious hobby.
n. a person who performs dance movements, typically as a professional occupation or a dedicated recreational activity.
“She has wanted to be a professional ballet dancer since she was five years old.”
“The lead dancer executed a series of complex pirouettes that left the audience in stunned silence for several seconds.”
02adult entertainer
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. a polite or indirect way to talk about a stripper.
n. a euphemistic term for a person who performs striptease or exotic dance in an adult entertainment venue.
“He told his parents he was dating a dancer, but he didn't say she worked at a club.”
“The venue rebranded itself as a high-end lounge, though the primary attraction remained the exotic dancers performing on the main stage.”
Usage
Often used as a euphemism to avoid more explicit terms.
Teaching tip
Learners should be aware that in certain contexts, especially involving nightlife, this word implies adult entertainment rather than traditional performance art.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English dauncer, dawncere, dancere, equivalent to dance + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. gandy dancer
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/dancer
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR