Etymology From Middle English traunce, from Anglo-Norman transe (“fear of coming evil; passage from life to death”), from transir (“to be numb with fear; to die, pass on”), from Latin trānseō (“to cross over”).
1
A dazed or unconscious condition.
2
A state of awareness, concentration, or focus that filters experience and information (for example, a state of meditation or possession by some being).
And he became very hungry, and would have eaten; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 10:10:
My soul was ravished quite as in a trance.1595, Edmunde Spenser [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “[Amoretti.] Sonnet XXXIX”, in Amoretti and Epithalamion. […], London: […] [Peter Short] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC:
3
Human sciences, Psychology, Sciences A state of low response to stimulus and diminished, narrow attention; particularly one induced by hypnosis.
4
Entertainment, Lifestyle, MusicAbbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of trance music (“genre of electronic dance music”).
Etymology From Middle English traunce, from Anglo-Norman transe (“fear of coming evil; passage from life to death”), from transir (“to be numb with fear; to die, pass on”), from Latin trānseō (“to cross over”).
1
Ambitransitive To (cause to) be in a trance; to entrance.
And there I left him tranced.c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
The Horned Toad (kɛŋkak) tranced the rivers into being. A bakɔh bird tranced the mountains. The Scrub Bulbul (ˀɛsˀããs) drilled fire into existence with its beak. And, finally, the Bronzed Black Drongo (tɛrhɛɛh) tranced the year […]2014, Geoffrey Benjamin, Temiar Religion, 1964-2012, page 64:
What is interesting for us here is that Chingkai and her familiars dreamed and tranced the Temiar world into being. […]1995, Sue Jennings, Kevin Jennings, Theatre, Ritual, and Transformation: The Senoi Temiars, page 111:
Etymology The verb is derived from Middle English traunce, trauncen, trancen (“to move about (?); to prance (?); to trample the ground”) (whence modern English trounce with the same senses, which see for more). The noun is probably derived from the verb.
1
Dialectal To walk heavily or with some difficulty; to tramp, to trudge.
Trance the world o'er.1626 February 1 (licensing date; Gregorian calendar), John Fletcher [et al.], “The Faire Maide of the Inne”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
After the flitting of the bats, / When thickest dark did trance the sky, / She drew the casement-curtain by, / And glanced athwart the glooming flats.1830 June, Alfred Tennyson, “Mariana”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1842, →OCLC, stanza II, page 11:
Etymology The verb is derived from Middle English traunce, trauncen, trancen (“to move about (?); to prance (?); to trample the ground”) (whence modern English trounce with the same senses, which see for more). The noun is probably derived from the verb.
So saying, he led the way out through halls and trances that were weel kend to my gudesire, and into the auld oak parlour; […]1824, Sir Walter Scott, Redgauntlet: