rigadoon, n.
(rɪgəˈduːn)
[a. F. rigaudon, rigodon, of doubtful origin.
‘I have heard a dancing-master say that the name of this dance came from that of its inventor, who was called Rigaud.’—Rousseau Dict. de mus. s.v. Mistral states that Rigaud was a celebrated dancing-master at Marseilles.
The French forms are more closely represented in the following examples:—a 1701 Sedley Grumbler ii. i, Will you have a minuet, Sir? The trocanny, tricotez, rigadon? Come, choose. 1706 Lond. Gaz. No. 4213/4 With an Addition of the English Rigaudon and French Bretagne.]
1. A lively and somewhat complicated dance for two persons, formerly in vogue.
| 1691 Satyr. agst. French Ep. A 2 It is an original, I assure you, and drawn as near to the Life as a Limner could take the Features of one dancing the Rigadoon. 1715 Addison Freeholder No. 36 He..gained a great Reputation, by his Performance in a Rigadoon. 1751 Eliza Heywood Betsy Thoughtless I. 85 The gentleman-commoner..led her some steps of a minuette, then fell into a rigadoon. 1829 Marryat F. Mildmay i, He taught us the rigadoons of his own country. a 1845 Barham Ingol. Leg., House-Warming, Sir Christopher..skips away with much glee in his best rigadoon. 1872 Holmes Poet Breakf.-t. iv, She would dance you a rigadoon..very respectably. |
| attrib. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 34 ¶4 Damia made her utterly forgot by a gentle sinking, and a Rigadoon Step. |
2. The music for such a dance.
| 1731 (title), Instructions upon the Hautboy; together with a curious collection of Marches, Minuets, Rigadoons, and Opera Airs. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XII. 551/2 The rigadoon has two times in a bar, is composed of two strains, each to be repeated. 1812 W. Tennant Anster Fair iv. xc, The puissant Piper, Rob, Whose bagpipe wak'd so hot a rigadoon From his well-managed bag. 1874 Ouseley Musical Form 32 Gavottes, Corantos, Rigadoons, Jiggs, and other old-fashioned dance-tunes. |
| attrib. 1844 L. Hunt Blue-stocking Revels ii. 245 With Hall he developed the rigadoon organ. |
Hence
rigaˈdoon v., to dance a rigadoon.
| 1803 Poet. Petit. agst. Tractorising Trumpery 14 So fam'd Aldini..Led dead folks down a contra dance And made them rigadoon and chassée. 1860 O. W. Holmes Elsie V. vii, The Doctor looked as if he should like to rigadoon and sashy [= chassé] across as well as the young one. |