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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

moonwalk en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈmunwɔk/ (US)
  • /ˈmuːnwɔːk/ (UK)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Moon + walk. * (backslide): Coined by Michael Jackson in 1983, when popularizing the backslide and renaming it.

Meanings

  1. An exploration of the Moon's surface on foot by an astronaut.
  2. (broadly) Activity on the Moon, outside any moonbase, exposed to space, by an astronaut
  3. A dance move in which the dancer slides backwards though the feet move as if walking forwards; the backslide.
  4. A dance style in which the dancer appears to be moving in a low gravity environment.
    • Though the idea of placing wacky made-up characters in a real-life context was carried over from Da Ali G Show—wherein Buzz Aldrin was once asked if he was upset that Michael Jackson got all the credit for inventing the moonwalk—Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat felt like something new, an attempt to square an improvised, guerrilla style of underground comedy with reality-TV stunt shows like Jackass or Fear Factor. 2012 May 15, Scott Tobias, “Film: Reviews: The Dictator”, in The Onion AV Club:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
moonwalks Number=Plur lexicographic

Hypernyms

dance style · extravehicular activity (exploration of the Moon on foot)

Synonyms

LEVA (activity outside on the Moon by an astronaut)

Translations (35)

eo lunpaŝado (dance style) · it moonwalk (dance style) · sh месечев хо̑д (dance style) · ru глайд (dance style) · ko 문워크 (dance style) · ja ムーンウオーク (dance style) · vi moonwalk (dance style) · ml മൂൺവാക്ക് (dance style) · pt moonwalk (dance style) · fi kuukävely (exploration) · de Moonwalk (dance style) · fi moonwalk (dance style) · cmn 太空漫步 (dance style) · nl moonwalk (dance style) · ja ムーンウォーク (dance style) · sh mesečev hȏd (dance style) · hy լուսնային քայլվածք (dance style) · el φεγγαροπερπάτημα (dance style) · az ay gəzişi (dance style) · fr moonwalk (dance style) · cmn 月球漫步 (dance style) · fi kuukävely (dance style) · el μούνγουοκ (dance style) · fa مونواک (dance style) · ar مِشْيَة الْقَمَرِ (dance style) · uk ковза́ння наза́д (dance style) · th มูนวอล์ก (dance style) · ru лу́нная похо́дка (dance style) · ru скольже́ние наза́д (dance style) · bg лунна походка (dance style) · cmn 滑步 (dance style) · uk мі́сячна хода́ (dance style) · lt mėnulio eisena (dance style) · yue 太空舞 (dance style) · it passeggiata lunare (exploration)

moonwalk en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈmunwɔk/ (US)
  • /ˈmuːnwɔːk/ (UK)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Moon + walk. * (backslide): Coined by Michael Jackson in 1983, when popularizing the backslide and renaming it.

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To walk on the surface of the Moon.
  2. (intransitive) To walk in leaps, like on the Moon or on other low gravity surfaces.
  3. (intransitive) To perform the moonwalk.
  4. (intransitive) To walk in a manner that is similar to the moonwalk dance style; to move while sliding backwards as though the feet move as if one was walking forwards.
    • Alicent’s crew intercede and try to grab the prince for themselves, Aemond restraining his fleeing brother while Criston crosses swords with Cargyll 1. That’s when Cargyll 2 moonwalks away, realizing that he wants no part of this royal shitshow. 2022 October 16, Jenna Scherer, “An enticing House Of The Dragon crowns Westeros' new ruler”, in AV Club:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
moonwalked Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
moonwalked Tense=Past lexicographic
moonwalks Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
moonwalking Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

moonrun · moonwalker

Translations (2)

nl moonwalken (to moonwalk dance) · pt fazer moonwalk (to moonwalk dance)