tea dance

noun — 2 senses

tea dance

noun

Dated A late afternoon or early evening dance, typically with a live orchestra (often referred to as a palm court orchestra) playing light classical music.

Since the 1970s, gay-oriented tea dances have been popular with the gay community.

Canada, US Any late afternoon or early evening dance, especially one similar to nightclub dancing that would usually be held later at night.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.