Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

cancan

Syllabification: (can·can)
Pronunciation: /ˈkanˌkan/
Definition of cancan

noun

  • a lively, high-kicking stage dance originating in 19th-century Parisian music halls and performed by women in long skirts and petticoats.

Origin:

mid 19th century: from French, child's word for canard 'duck', from Old French caner 'to quack'

cancan in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of cancan in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More results for cancan

Result list for cancan

More words in this category

Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kər /
noun
an aggressive dog or one that is in poor condition …