war dancen.

1757 W. Burke Acct. European Settlem. Amer. I. ii. iv. 183 The captain..strikes his club against the stakes of his cottage, and begins the war dance.

1775 J. Trumbull MʽFingal 1 The true war dance of Yanky-reels.

1778 J. Carver Trav. N.-Amer. 269 The War Dance, which they use both before they set out on their war parties, and on their return from them.

1814 W. Scott Diary 7 Aug. in J. G. Lockhart Mem. Life Scott (1837) III. iv. 163 In a stall pamphlet, called the history of Buckshaven [Fifeshire], it is said those fishers sprung from Danes, and brought with them their war-dance or sword-dance, and a rude wooden cut of it is given.

1851 San Francisco Picayune 24 Oct. 2/2 Having thus satisfied his taste for hat smashing, the tiles were kicked into a heap, and the six joining hands around them went through an extemporary war dance.

1883 G. C. Davies Norfolk Broads (1884) iv. 33 The boiling liquid..is rapidly covered with sawdust, which is trodden down by a war-dance on the part of the men.

1886 J. G. Wood Man & Handiwork v. 69 In their terrific war-dances, the Maoris put out their tongues to a wonderful extent.