Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An Australian Aboriginal dance festival held at night, especially in celebration of an important event.
- noun A large, noisy celebration.
- noun A great tumult; a disturbance.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A wardance or dancing-party of the aborigines of Australia and New Zealand.
- To hold a corroboree; be used for that purpose.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A nocturnal festivity with which the Australian aborigines celebrate tribal events of importance. Symbolic dances are given by the young men of the tribe, while the women act as musicians.
- noun A song or chant made for such a festivity.
- noun Australia A festivity or social gathering, esp. one of a noisy or uproarious character; hence, tumult; uproar.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A nocturnal
dance held by Australian Aborigines, for social, celebratory or warlike purposes. - noun Any noisy, late-night gathering or disturbance.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The word corroboree is applied equally to the dance, the whole festival, or the actual chant which accompanies the dancing.
Spinifex and Sand David Wynford Carnegie 1885
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Some old clothes were then put on some of the men and women, and the affair ended in several of our party and several of the black fellows having an impromptu "corroboree," to the intense delight of the natives, and I must say, very much to our amusement.
Successful Exploration Through the Interior of Australia William John Wills 1847
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"corroboree," where graceful thanks were returned by the Opposition candidate, who was overloaded with offerings of blue and white violets and narcissi, and amid great enthusiasm dragged in a buggy to the railway station.
Some Everyday Folk and Dawn Miles Franklin 1916
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The endangered mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus) and the corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) are both strict endemics found only in high elevation areas.
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The next minute Billy the Boy raises the most awful corroboree of screams and howls, enough for a whole gang of bush-rangers, if they went in for that sort of thing.
Robbery Under Arms 2004
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A dance, called by the colonists a corroboree, now took place, in which only the unarmed men joined.
Ralph Rashleigh 2004
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These distinctive traits, worn with careless hair, were so original, so intensely entertaining and notoriety-provoking in a camp which had never possessed the copyright of more than one shabby corroboree, that Wylo made many conquests.
My Tropic Isle 2003
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That he did most truly and sincerely believe the existence of “debils-debils” we had proof every evening, for he would sit at the door of his grass hut, maintain a big, dancing fire, and sing lustily under the supposition that a good discordant corroboree was the most effective scare.
My Tropic Isle 2003
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The weather was close, and being satisfied, and, for once, frugal, George cooked the two remaining fish, and swathing them neatly in fresh green leaves, sauntered away, cooing a corroboree of content.
My Tropic Isle 2003
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The corroboree of native companions (ANTIGONE AUSTRALASIANA) may certainly be the practice of a defensive manoeuvre, though it has the appearance of a graceful dance.
My Tropic Isle 2003
treeseed commented on the word corroboree
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
noun
Etymology: Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) garaabara
Date: 1811
1: a nocturnal festivity with songs and symbolic dances by which the Australian aborigines celebrate events of importance
2Australian a: a noisy festivity
January 31, 2008
bilby commented on the word corroboree
Only the grass stands up
to mark the dancing-ring; the apple-gums
posture and mime past corroboree,
murmur a broken chant.
- Judith Wright, 'Bora Ring'.
August 8, 2009