cancan

noun

can·​can ˈkan-ˌkan How to pronounce cancan (audio)
: a woman's dance of French origin characterized by high kicking usually while holding up the front of a full ruffled skirt

Examples of cancan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Musical performances and dancers performing ballet and the cancan will be scattered throughout the park, and photo stations will be set up, including a replica of the Eiffel Tower. — Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025 Over the years, the club underwent many changes, but it’s forever known as the birthplace and current presenter of the French cancan, where female dancers lift their frilly skirts and high-kick their bare legs. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025 Montmartre – Period drama about a young French cancan dancer trying to find her brother and sister, and the person who assassinated her father. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025 Later, as slow-motion scenes of a horse overlay cancan dancers and the men bond through a haze of booze and fresh air, Pierre reminisces on the prairies and the stars. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cancan

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cancan was in 1830

Rhymes for cancan

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Cancan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cancan. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cancan

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cancan

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