trance
UK: trɑːns | US: træns
n. a semi-conscious state resembling sleep, often induced by hypnosis or intense focus
n. a genre of electronic dance music characterized by hypnotic rhythms and melodies
n. (archaic) a dazed or stunned condition
The word "trance" originates from the Latin transire ("to cross over"), via Old French transe ("fear, passage"). The core idea is "passing through" a mental or physical state—whether a hypnotic state (crossing into altered consciousness) or the archaic sense of "fear as a transitional experience." The musical genre "trance" metaphorically extends this to describe music that transports listeners into an immersive, rhythmic state.
The hypnotist put her into a deep trance.
He listened to trance music to focus while studying.
The shock left him in a trance-like daze.
Ancient rituals often used drumming to induce trances.
She snapped out of her trance when someone called her name.