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cakewalk

Pronunciation: /ˈkeɪk.wɔk/

The English word “cakewalk” has 5 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A contest in which cake was offered for the best dancers.
  2. The style of music associated with such a contest.
  3. The dance, or strutting style of dance, associated with such a contest.
  4. Something that is easy or simple, or that does not present a great challenge.

verb

  1. To perform the cakewalk dance.

Etymology

From cake + walk. Originally an African-American form of dance and music that developed after the Civil War, later popularised by minstrel shows. It was danced at social events, with the best dancers often receiving cake as a prize. It derives from dance competitions by plantation slaves in which the style of dance lampooned the ballroom dances of the slaveowners. Slaveowners seem to have found…

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