What does tarantella mean?
A tarantella is a lively Italian folk dance and, by extension, a type of instrumental music associated with it. The dance is known for its rapid rotations, buoyant rhythm, and traditional performance in triple time. In English, the word can refer either to the dance itself or to a composition written for a similar style, allowing phrases such as “play a tarantella” or “perform the tarantella.” Its name is connected with Taranto, the southern Italian city where the tradition developed. The word also carries a historical association with tarantulas, through legends linking the city’s name and the dance to the bite of a spider. Today, tarantellas appear in concert halls, folk-music performances, ballet adaptations, and popular culture, where their speed and vitality make them especially effective for suggesting movement, excitement, and abandon.
nounA lively Italian folk dance characterized by rapid spinning movements, typically performed in triple time; also, a piece of music in this style.
- A lively Italian folk dance with rapid spinning movements, traditionally performed in triple time.
- A piece of instrumental music composed in the style of the tarantella dance.
"The musicians played a tarantella while the dancers whirled across the square."
"A tarantella was played as the dancers circled the room."
"The composer arranged the folk melody into a delicate tarantella for strings."
The plural is used for separate dances or musical pieces.
"The orchestra performed several lively tarantellas by Italian composers."
The tarantella was named for Taranto in southern Italy, where it developed from the energetic local tradition of dancing and instrumental music.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tarantella come from?
The English word comes from Italian tarantella, a diminutive associated with tarantola, the Italian word for a tarantula. These forms ultimately connect with Taranto, the city in southern Italy where the dance and musical tradition developed. The dance’s name became associated with legends about tarantula bites that supposedly caused people to dance uncontrollably.
How tarantella is actually used
The word is commonly used for both the dance and its associated music. It is usually countable, and the standard plural is “tarantellas.”
Easily confused with tarantella
A tarantella is a dance or musical piece, whereas a tarantula is a large, hairy spider.