dance hall
noun
1
: a large room set aside or suitable for dances
especially
: a public hall offering facilities for dancing
2
dancehall
ˈdan(t)s-ˌhȯl 
: a genre of Jamaican music derived from reggae in which an artist improvises vocals over a recorded or live beat
ˈdän(t)s-
… anyone who knew her or worked with her knows that she loves dancehall and has much respect and passion for the genre.—
Stephanie K
—often used before another nounStephanie Kdancehall music
A key form of symbolic capital obtainable in Jamaica is knowledge and possession of many Jamaican dancehall records.—Marvin Sterling
Marvin SterlingExamples of dance hall in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelly's Quinn O'Grady runs a local dance hall after a stint in the big city working as a concert pianist.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Soon, local dance halls were forced to adhere to the policewoman’s new regulations, from changing their provocative business names to installing better lighting to barring men from approaching women without a formal introduction by an usher.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
The Bird Cage Theater, which opened in 1881 and also served as a saloon and dance hall, is still standing and open for tours.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
But the Willowbrook was patently a dance hall offering food, not a restaurant with a dance floor.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dance hall
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Soon, local dance halls were forced to adhere to the policewoman’s new regulations, from changing their provocative business names to installing better lighting to barring men from approaching women without a formal introduction by an usher.
—Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
The Bird Cage Theater, which opened in 1881 and also served as a saloon and dance hall, is still standing and open for tours.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
But the Willowbrook was patently a dance hall offering food, not a restaurant with a dance floor.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dance hall
Cite this Entry
“Dance hall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dance%20hall. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share