break-down
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A noisy dance, almost violent enough to break the floor down; a jovial, social gathering, a "flare up;" in Ireland, a wedding—American so far as the dance is concerned.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “break-down” mean?
A noisy dance, almost violent enough to break the floor down; a jovial, social gathering, a "flare up;" in Ireland, a wedding—American so far as the dance is concerned.
Is “break-down” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.