dance hall

noun

1. a public establishment that, for an admission fee, provides its patrons with music and space for dancing and, sometimes, dancing partners and refreshments.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dance hall¹

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

Distant memories of a bygone era were etched over a County Tyrone man's face as a well-known dance hall was reduced to rubble.

From BBC

Velasco, who studied business administration in college, wanted to fill the dance hall.

From Los Angeles Times

In its heyday, the town’s main drag featured saloons, dance halls, inns and gambling houses.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2014, her “Groovin High,” a depiction of a crowded energetic dance hall evocative of Harlem’s famous Savoy Ballroom, was featured on a billboard along New York City’s High Line park.

From Seattle Times

Just before 9 p.m., the doors to a dance hall swung open, a brass band pushed into the crowd and the star everyone had been waiting for stepped out: a 12-foot puppet of John Travolta.

From New York Times

Related Words

• auditorium
• ballroom
• concert hall
• opera house