hu·la

(ho͞o′lə) also hu·la-hu·la (ho͞o′lə-ho͞o′lə)

A Polynesian dance that in traditional form dramatizes a song or chant, especially through arm movements and hand gestures.

[Hawaiian.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hula

(ˈhuːlə) or

hula-hula

(Dancing) a Hawaiian dance performed by a woman

[from Hawaiian]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hu•la

(ˈhu lə)

n., pl. -las.

a sinuous Hawaiian native dance with intricate arm movements that tell a story in pantomime, usu. danced to rhythmic drumming and accompanied by chanting. Also called hu′la-hu′la.

[1815–25; < Hawaiian]

hula

An essential feature of Hawaian culture, the hula is accompanied by chanting and the actual style of each performance is determined by the chant. originating in the 1970s, in which two partners perform elaborate stylized turns.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

hula - a Polynesian rain dance performed by a woman

Hawaiian dancing, hula-hula

rain dance - a ritual dance intended to bring rain

Translations

hula

n → Hula(-Hula) m or f; to do the hula(-hula) → Hula(-Hula) tanzen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The hulk of an ancient wreck burned with blue fires, in the light of which danced the HULA dancers to the barbaric love-calls of the singers, who chanted to tinkling UKULELES and rumbling tom-toms.

View in context

And when she strummed the guitar and sang liquid, velvety Hawaiian hulas, he sat entranced.

View in context

Several of them had been to Honolulu, and knew the instrument, confirming Mercedes' definition of ukulele as "jumping flea." Also, they knew Hawaiian songs she had learned from Mercedes, and soon, to her accompaniment, all were singing: "Aloha Oe," "Honolulu Tomboy," and "Sweet Lei Lehua." Saxon was genuinely shocked when some of them, even the more matronly, danced hulas on the sand.

View in context

I begin with a general description of the Hula and their encounter with Christianity.

Feeding relationship: uncovering cosmology in Christian Women's Fellowship in Papua New Guinea

Learning hula steps and motions and dancing every day is a great way to keep a body flexible while enjoying Hawaiian music.

Visit the neighbors: Molokai & Lanai

"They're very frequent ATA users; a lot have condos in Florida," Hula says.

Fort Wayne, you're on vacation: ATA launches service to Chicago Midway

Place the hula hoop on the ground at your location.

Hands-on science (no lab required)

For at least two thousand years and numerous generations before Western contact in 1778, our mo'olelo were passed down orally from ha'i mo'olelo (storyteller) to ha'i mo'olelo, from kumu hula (dance master) to kunm hula, from kanaka (person) to kanaka.

Ha, mana, Leo (breath, spirit, voice): Kanaka Maoli empowerment through literature

In Hula Workout for Weight Loss (Natural Journeys; $14.95) Kili teaches the "Story of the Sunshine Hula." While the combination is as easy to follow as Hula Workout for Beginners, this dance targets the heart rate as well as strengthens and tones the body.

Hula-robics

The blindfolded bowler stands in a hula hoop (which is placed at varying distances from each target).

Five factors to consider when developing games for your staff training

Jody Gardner, a former Long Beach State player, gave me a great idea on how to improve a player's shooting technique -- the use of a hula hoop.

Shoot With the Hoop!

According to Bianca, the things she was looking forward to the most were, "Watching the hula girls dance, eating coconuts, and swimming in the beautiful Pacific ocean" Bianca also confessed that the children at her school have treated her like a movie star, and some students even asked if they could accompany her!

My Hawaiian vacation