honky-tonk: Meaning and Definition of

honk•y-tonk

1. a cheap, noisy, and garish nightclub or dance hall.

2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a honky-tonk: a honky-tonk atmosphere.
3. characterized by or having a large number of honky-tonks: the honky-tonk part of town.
4. noting a style of ragtime piano-playing characterized by a strict two-four or four-four bass, either contrapuntal or chordal, and a melody embellished with chords and syncopated rhythms, typically performed on a piano whose strings have been muffled and given a tinny sound.

1. to visit or frequent honky-tonks.