a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xxxix. 6 Hoppynge & daunceynge of tumblers & herlotes.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 7601 In þair dauncing þis was þair sang.

1530 W. Tyndale Pract. Prelates sig. Kvi^v As who shuld saye, we payde for all mennes daunsynge.

1633 P. Fletcher Purple Island vii. xxx. 92 With dancings, gifts, and songs.

1670 C. Cotton tr. G. Girard Hist. Life Duke of Espernon ii. vi. 244 One night that the King had appointed a great Dancing at Court.

1766 J. Fordyce Serm. Young Women I. vi. 236 What is dancing, in the best sense, but the harmony of motion rendered more palpable?

1854 W. M. Thackeray Newcomes I. xxiv. 235 They had no dancing at Grandmamma's, but she adores dancing.

1765 W. Cowper Let. 3 July (1979) I. 98 Here is a Card Assembly and a Dancing Assembly.

c1385 G. Chaucer Legend Good Women Dido. 1106 To daunsyng-chaumberys..This Enyas is led.

1870 A. S. Stephens Married in Haste xxxi. 172 Constance had never felt..pleasure in departing for her dancing classes.

1902 Mrs. G. M. Martin Emmy Lou 277 ‘There's to be a dancing club on Friday evenings,’ she explained, ‘and I'm invited.’

1918 A. Bennett Roll-call ii. i. 217 They had belonged to two dancing clubs whose members met weekly in the saloons of the great hotels.

1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. v. 31 Nay sit..For you and I are past our dauncing dayes . View more context for this quotation

1727 J. Swift Stella's Birth-day: 1724 in J. Swift et al. Misc.: Last Vol. iii. 160 As when a beauteous Nymph decays We say, she's past her Dancing Days.

1843 H. W. Longfellow Spanish Student ii. i. 58 Now bring me..my dancing dress, And my most precious jewels!

1839 H. W. Longfellow Hyperion II. iii. iii Used as a dancing-floor.

1753 O. Goldsmith Let. in Wks. (1881) IV. 474 When a stranger enters the dancing-hall he sees one end of the room taken up with the ladies.

1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian viii, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. I. 213 Nae frequenter of play-house, or music-house, or dancing-house.

1871 H. B. Stowe Pink & White Tyranny xxi. 263 Her dancing-list seemed in a fair way to be soon filled up for the evening.

1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 145 All the Ladies could prevail upon my Master for, was a Dancing-match.

1852 J. Reynolds Pioneer Hist. Illinois 52 They arrange all things necessary for the dancing party.

c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 114 Dawncynge pype, carola.

1847 A. Smith Christopher Tadpole (1848) xix. 167 They all wear jackets and trowsers, and trodden out dancing-pumps.

1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 180. ⁋8 Dancing-Shoes not exceeding Four Inches Height in the Heel.

1841 J. F. Cooper Deerslayer xxiv. 112 His step as lofty as dancing-teachers and a light heart could make it.

1880 G. W. Cable Grandissimes xliii. 336 I could be..a dancing-teacher.

1877 tr. H. W. von Ziemssen in tr. H. W. von Ziemssen et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. XIV. 416 As a pandemic disease, the dancing-mania died out in the fifteenth century.

1853 C. Dickens Bleak House xxxviii. 379 Dancing-mistress though in her limited ambition she aspired to be.

1920 World's Pict. News 27 Feb. 9/2 (caption) Gaby..with her famous dancing partner.

1921 Dict. Occup. Terms (1927) §899 Dancing partner.., an expert dancer engaged by proprietor or manager of dancing hall or by individual dancer, to act as partner when required and to teach ball-room dancing.

1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus ii. i. 39 Why boy, although our mother (vnaduizd) Gaue you a daunsing Rapier by your side.

1788 J. Wolcot Peter's Pension 16 T'illume The goodly company and dancing room.

1836 J. Murray Hand-bk. for Travellers on Continent 271 Occupied by low taverns and dancing-rooms.

c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1343 What ladyes fairest been and best daunsynge.]

1568 U. Fulwell Like wil to Like sig. A.iii Whom have we heer? Tom tumbler, or else some dauncing bear?

1583 P. Stubbes Second Pt. Anat. Abuses sig. E8 Their dansing minions, that minse it ful gingerlie.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics i, in tr. Virgil Wks. 64 Chaff with eddy Winds is whirl'd around, And dancing Leaves are lifted from the Ground. View more context for this quotation

1701 D. Defoe True-born Englishman i. 8 A Dancing Nation, Fickle and Untrue.

1887 J. Ball Notes Naturalist in S. Amer. 15 The irregular surface of the little dancing waves.

1606 G. W. tr. Justinus Hist. 42 b He begat Larissa, a dauncing damsel.

1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors ii. f. 6^v Of fyery Meteores..they haue diuers names, for they ar called, burning stoble, torches, daunsing or leapinge Goates.

1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors ii. f. 7^v Dansyng Goates, are..as when twoo torches be seen together, & the flame appeareth to leape or daunce from one parte to the other.

1698 J. Fryer New Acct. E.-India & Persia 160 The Dancing Wenches singing with Bells at their Wrists and Heels.

1810 T. Williamson E. India Vade-mecum I. 385 The dancing-women are of different kinds.