St. Vitus' dance

noun

Any chorea; usually, more specifically

“For quotations using this term, see Citations:St. Vitus' dance.”

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Meanings

noun

alternative Saint Vitus' dance

  1. archaicmedicineAny chorea; usually, more specifically

    For quotations using this term, see Citations:St. Vitus' dance.

  2. Any chorea; usually, more specifically:
    1. archaicmedicineSydenham's chorea.
    2. archaicmedicineHuntington's chorea.

Origin

Because people traditionally prayed to Saint Vitus for heavenly intercession to relieve the burden of the disease.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic دَاء الرَقْص
  • دَاء الرَقْص (dāʔ ar-raqṣ)Sydenham's chorea
Czech tanec svatého Víta
  • tanec svatého VítaSydenham's chorea
French danse de Saint Guy
  • danse de Saint GuySydenham's chorea
German Veitstanz
  • VeitstanzSydenham's chorea
Greek χορός του Σαν Βίτο
  • χορός του Σαν Βίτο (chorós tou San Víto)Sydenham's chorea
Italian ballo di San Vito
  • ballo di San VitoSydenham's chorea
Russian пля́ска свято́го Ви́тта
  • пля́ска свято́го Ви́тта (pljáska svjatóvo Vítta)Sydenham's chorea
Swedish danssjuka
  • danssjukaSydenham's chorea
Cite this entry
APA

St. Vitus' dance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/St.%20Vitus'%20dance

MLA

“St. Vitus' dance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/St.%20Vitus'%20dance. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “St. Vitus' dance,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/St.%20Vitus'%20dance.

Source: St. Vitus' dance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.