samba

noun

sam·​ba ˈsam-bə How to pronounce samba (audio) ˈsäm- How to pronounce samba (audio)
: a Brazilian dance of African origin with a basic pattern of step-close-step-close and characterized by a dip and spring upward at each beat of the music
also : the music for this dance
samba intransitive verb

Examples of samba in a Sentence

The band played a samba.
Recent Examples on the Web This isn’t a sonic fracture: samba and salsa have always shared some standards, boleros are part of the Brazilian soul, and regional is not that different from sertanejo. Felipe Maia, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2024 Cantar sums up the ethos of música popular Brasileira: a strong samba foundation garnished liberally with sprinkles of reggae, rock, folk, you-name-it. Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 16 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for samba 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'samba.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of samba was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near samba

Cite this Entry

“Samba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samba. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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