merengue

[ muh-reng-gey ]

noun

1. a ballroom dance of Dominican and Haitian origin, characterized by a stiff-legged, limping step.
2. the music for this dance.

verb (used without object)

, me·ren·gued, me·ren·gu·ing.

1. to dance the merengue.

merengue

/ məˈrɛŋɡeɪ /

noun

1. a type of lively dance music originating in the Dominican Republic, which combines African and Spanish elements
2. a Caribbean dance in duple time with syncopated rhythm performed to such music

Word History and Origins

Origin of merengue¹

First recorded in 1880–90; from Latin American Spanish merengue, meringue, and probably a special use of Spanish merengue meringue ( def ), but the semantic development is unclear

Word History and Origins

Origin of merengue¹

from American Spanish and Haitian Creole

Example Sentences

The Crown shows the stricken bride in that puffy merengue of a wedding dress.

From Time

“When I die, don’t light candles for me, let the men dance and the women drink,” he sang in the horn-filled merengue song “Cuando Yo Me Muera.”

From Washington Post

“I love the bolero and today’s salsa,” he sang in “Merenguero Hasta la Tambora,” “but I’m a merengue singer up to my tambora,” a two-headed drum played in merengue.

From Washington Post

Ventura came of age during the three-decade reign of Rafael Trujillo, a dictator who sought to promote merengue as the country’s national music and dance.

From Washington Post

In the afternoon, bands would perform — classical and jazz, calypso and merengue — and some of the singers were quite talented.

From ProPublica