conga

[ kong-guh ]

noun

, plural con·gas.

1. Also called conga line. a Cuban ballroom dance that consists of three steps forward followed by a kick, characteristically performed by a group following a leader in a single line.
2. the music for this dance.
3. Also called con·ga drum [kong, -g, uh, druhm]. a tall, conical, Afro-Cuban drum played with the hands.

verb (used without object)

, con·gaed, con·ga·ing.

1. to dance a conga.

conga

/ ˈkɒŋɡə /

noun

1. a Latin American dance of three steps and a kick to each bar, usually performed by a number of people in single file
2. Also calledconga drum a large tubular bass drum, used chiefly in Latin American and funk music and played with the hands

verb

1. intr to dance the conga

Word History and Origins

Origin of conga¹

First recorded in 1930–35; from Cuban Spanish

Word History and Origins

Origin of conga¹

C20: from American Spanish, feminine of congo belonging to the Congo

Example Sentences

The festival has been running since 2019, and hosts a mullet contest, conga dancing and a range of hairdressers on site.

From BBC

He played at least four instruments — guitar, drums, congas and tambourine — in addition to taking over lead vocals on “Forever” during sunset .

From Los Angeles Times

Everest in recent years is probably familiar with the terrifying “conga line” photos of climbers stuck in the world’s highest traffic jam.

From Los Angeles Times

“But salsa was a beat that they picked up in the street. And they wore it down so long that they put it in a conga and that’s where salsa began.”

From Los Angeles Times

Soon he was training multiple fighters at the gym, with conga heads placed in plastic Home Depot buckets stacked to adjust for height.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• disco
• samba
• tango
• waltz