Meanings
plural breakdances · alternative break-dance · alternative break dance
- countableuncountableThe art, or an instance, of breakdancing.
B-boys -- or breakdance boys -- have been spotted in Coca-Cola and Sprite advertisements.
1998 July 6, Lola Ogunnaike, “NOTICED; Breakdancing Regains Its Footing”, in The New York Times
present singular third person breakdances · participle present breakdancing · participle past breakdanced · past breakdanced · alternative break-dance · alternative break dance
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰreg-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰrégeti
- Proto-Germanic*brekaną
- Proto-West Germanic*brekan
- Old Englishbrecan
- Middle Englishbreken
- Englishbreak
- Vulgar Latin*dantiāre
- Anglo-Normandauncer
- Middle Englishdauncen
- Englishdance
- Englishbreakdance
From break + dance, in reference to the instrumental break sections of music.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans breakdance
- breakdanceinstance of breakdancing
Arabic بريك دانس
- بريك دانس (brīk dāns)instance of breakdancing
Bulgarian брейкденс, брейк
- брейкденс (brejkdens)instance of breakdancing
- брейк (brejk)instance of breakdancing
Chinese Mandarin 地板舞, 霹雳舞
- 地板舞to dance in breakdancing style
- 霹雳舞 (pīlìwǔ)to dance in breakdancing style
- 布雷克舞to dance in breakdancing style
Dutch breakdance, breakdancen
- breakdanceinstance of breakdancing
- breakdancento dance in breakdancing style
Esperanto rompdanci
- rompdancito dance in breakdancing style
Finnish breikkaus, breikata
- breikkausinstance of breakdancing
- breikatato dance in breakdancing style
French breakdance
- breakdanceinstance of breakdancing
Indonesian tari kejang, menari kejang
- tari kejanginstance of breakdancing
- menari kejangto dance in breakdancing style
Japanese ブレイクダンス
- ブレイクダンス (bureikudansu)instance of breakdancing
Māori kanikani keretao, kanikani keretao
- kanikani keretaoinstance of breakdancing
- kanikani keretaoto dance in breakdancing style
Polish breakdance
- breakdanceinstance of breakdancing
Portuguese breakdance
- breakdanceinstance of breakdancing
Spanish breakdance, bailar breakdance
- breakdanceinstance of breakdancing
- bailar breakdanceto dance in breakdancing style
Cite this entry
breakdance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breakdance
“breakdance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breakdance. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “breakdance,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breakdance.
Source: breakdance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.