Twerks

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A form of dance characterized by rhythmic hip movements and bouncing; often performed in a squatting position while accentuating the posterior; commonly associated with popular culture and music events
2. A style of dance that involves shaking and emphasizing the buttocks in a rhythmic manner; typically done in a low stance with energetic movements; prevalent in various music genres, particularly hip-hop
3. A dance move featuring rapid, repeated movements of the hips and backside; executed while in a bent-over or squatting posture; frequently seen in music videos and social media performances

Etymology: Shaking the hips in this way is far newer than the word's roots suggest. Hip-hop popularized the sexually provocative dance from around 2000, and singer Miley Cyrus brought it to wide attention in 2013. "Twerks" is the form of "twerk" used when the subject is a single person or thing performing the action, so "she twerks" or "it twerks." "Twerk" is a blend of "twitch" and "jerk," two words for quick, sudden movements, which fits the rapid shaking it describes.

Synonyms: dance, wiggle

Antonyms: stiffen