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Definition of "ghost dance" []

  • Either of two group dances associated with a messianic religious movement among Native American peoples of the Southwest and Great Plains in the late 19th century. Ghost dance prophets foretold the imminent disappearance of whites, the restoration of traditional lands and ways of life, and the resurrection of dead ancestors. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "ghost dance" in a sentence
  • "House dark, no sound but Jake’s snoring through the wall, I laid in bed, watching a ghost dance on the ceiling, nose sucking up sweat, tobacco, and eau de Brendan, wondering what Adam was up to until the sun poked through the curtains, less than an hour later."