dancer

• dauncer, dawncer (obsolete)

From Middle English dauncer, dawncere, dancere, equivalent to dance +‎ -er.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɑːns.ə(ɹ)/, /ˈdæns.ə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdæns.ɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːnsə(ɹ), -ænsə(ɹ)

dancer (plural dancers)

2. (dance) A person who dances, usually as a hobby, an occupation, or a profession.

   Synonym: stepper

   I'm a terrible dancer.

3. (euphemistic) A stripper.

   Synonym: exotic dancer

4. (obsolete, slang) Synonym of garreter (“a thief who used housetops to enter by garret windows”)
   • 1889, Charles Tempest Clarkson, J. Hall Richardson, Police!, page 260:

     [A]bout 40 were burglars, "dancers," "garreters," and other adepts with the skeleton keys.

• dancing

• → Japanese: ダンサー (dansā)

• (thief): 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary

• Carden, ancred, carden, cedarn, craned, nacred, narced

From Old French dancier (“to dance”).

dancer

1. to dance

• As parler except c becomes ç before a and o. May remain c in older manuscripts.
• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

dancer

1. Alternative form of dancier

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-c, *-cs, *-ct are modified to z, z, zt. In addition, c becomes ç before an a, o or u to keep the /ts/ sound intact. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.