dance hall

noun

1

: a large room set aside or suitable for dances

especially : a public hall offering facilities for dancing

2

dancehall

ˈdan(t)s-ˌhȯl   

ˈdän(t)s-

: a genre of Jamaican music derived from reggae in which an artist improvises vocals over a recorded or live beat

… anyone who knew her or worked with her knows that she loves dancehall and has much respect and passion for the genre.

—Stephanie K

—often used before another noun

dancehall music

A key form of symbolic capital obtainable in Jamaica is knowledge and possession of many Jamaican dancehall records.

—Marvin Sterling

Examples of dance hall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a June 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Wilson recalled their first date at a dance hall and saloon that was known for its cheap drinks and live music. —Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026

For a modest fee, Bradley created a new routine for Delroy, tailored to her abilities, incorporating the still trendy Charleston and other saucier moves popular in Black dance halls and night clubs in the mid-nineteen-twenties. —Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 13 May 2026

But all three brothers will be on stage with Musgraves at one of Texas's oldest and most iconic dance halls. —Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026

The Stagecoach Ballroom, a longtime dance hall in the city, served as the central filming location. —S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dance hall

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• gossypol