fais-dodo

noun

fais-do·​do

¦fāˌdōˈdō

plural -s

: a country-dance or dancing party held usually on a Saturday night in southern Louisiana

Word History

Etymology

Louisiana French, from French (baby-talk) fais dodo! go to sleep!; probably from the fact that small children who attend the dances are expected to go to sleep during the festivities

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!