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trance

trance, critical moment

noun TRAHN-seh Rare

Usage Note

Trance carries two related senses: a hypnotic or altered state of consciousness (entrar en trance — to enter a trance), and a critical, difficult juncture (en trance de muerte — at the point of death). The phrase en trance de + infinitive means 'on the verge of doing something'. Curiously, the English loanword trance (the music genre) also appears untranslated in Spanish.

Examples

"El chamán entró en trance durante el ritual."

Natural Translation

The shaman entered a trance during the ritual.

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