1590s, intransitive, "hang loosely, be suspended so as to sway in the wind," probably from Scandinavian (compare Danish dangle, Swedish dangla "to swing about," Norwegian dangla), perhaps via North Frisian dangeln. Transitive sense of "carry suspended so as to swing or sway" is from 1610s. Related: Dangled; dangling.

proper name, Hebrew, literally "God is my judge;" related to Dan, literally "he who judges," the name given to the tribe descended from Jacob's son of that name in the Old Testament. Consistently in the top 15 names for boys born in the U.S. from 1972 through 2008.

fem. proper name, from Daniel. In U.S., little used before c. 1940 and in the top 20 for girls born from 1984-1994.

"of or pertaining to Denmark or the Danes," 14c., replacing Old English Denisc "people of Denmark" (also including the Norse), with vowel change as in Dane (q.v.). As a noun, "the language of the Danes," from early 15c. Danish pastry is by 1934; shortened form danish is by 1963. It seems to have been invented in Vienna, but for some reason it was associated with Scandinavia. The Danes correctly call it Wienerbrod "Viennese bread." In reference to furniture styles, Danish modern is from 1948.

"saturated with cold moisture," c. 1400, earlier as a verb (early 14c.), now obsolete, meaning "to moisten," used of mists, dews, etc. Perhaps from Scandinavian (compare Swedish dank "moist place," dänka "to moisten") or German (compare Middle High German damph, Dutch damp "vapor"). Now largely superseded by damp (adj.). As a noun, "cold moisture," c. 1400. Related: Dankly; dankness.

familiar form of proper name Daniel. The words to the popular song "Danny Boy" were written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly in 1910 and altered in 1913 to fit the old Irish tune of "Londonderry Air."

"female dancer," especially a ballet-dancer," 1828, from French, fem. of danseur, agent noun from danser (see dance (v.)). The earlier word in English was danceress (Middle English daunceresse, late 14c.).

masc. proper name, most modern uses outside Italy ultimately are in reference to Dante Alighieri (c. 1265-1321), the great poet; the name is a shortening of Latin Durante, from durare "to harden, endure," from durus "hard," from PIE *dru-ro-, suffixed variant form of root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast." Related: Dantean, Dantescan, Dantesque (the last from French).

major river of Europe flowing into the Black Sea (German Donau, Hungarian Duna, Russian Dunaj), from Latin Danuvius (Late Latin Danubius), from Celtic *danu(w)-yo-, from PIE *danu- "river" (compare Don, Dnieper, Dniester). Related: Danubian.

German name of Polish Gdańsk, city on the Baltic coast of Poland, perhaps from Gdania, an older name for the river that runs through it, or from Gothic Gutisk-anja "end of the (territory of the) Goths." The spelling (attested from 13c.) in the German form of the name perhaps suggests a connection with Dane.