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hula

American

[hoo-luh] / ˈhu lə /

noun

a sinuous Hawaiian dance with intricate arm movements that tell a story in pantomime, usually danced to rhythmic drumming and accompanied by chanting.

hula British

/ ˈhuːlə /

noun

a Hawaiian dance performed by a woman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hula

Borrowed into English from Hawaiian around 1815–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Joan Anderson, who coined the name for the hula hoop and played an unsung role in its rise, has died age 101.

From BBC • Jul. 29, 2025

Lavish dinner al fresco with open bar, followed by an hourlong show with hula, drumming and chanting.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2024

Doris, who celebrated the victory with a hula dance, wore a flower behind her ear.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

He reveals that he sprained it while hula hooping and he even shows photos.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2023

Behind them, the hula hoops are lined up, each one a different color so the girls won’t fight.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023