a courtly Continental version of the English country dance, similar to the quadrille
2.
music written for or in the rhythm of this dance
Word origin
C19: from French, changed from English country dance; country altered to French contre (opposite) by folk etymology (because the dancers face each other)
contredanse in American English
(ˈkɑntrəˌdæns)
noun
1.
a folk dance in which the partners form two facing lines; country-dance
2.
music for this dance
Word origin
Fr, altered (infl. by contre, opposite) < country-dance