samba

[ sam-buh, sahm- ]

noun

, plural sam·bas.

1. a rhythmic, Brazilian ballroom dance of African origin.

verb (used without object)

, sam·baed, sam·ba·ing.

1. to dance the samba.

samba

/ ˈsæmbə /

noun

1. a lively modern ballroom dance from Brazil in bouncy duple time
2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

verb

1. intr to perform such a dance

Word History and Origins

Origin of samba¹

First recorded in 1885; from Portuguese, of African origin, possibly Kongo semba, the name of a dance

Word History and Origins

Origin of samba¹

Portuguese, of African origin

Example Sentences

He said: "It was more like a salsa... This, for me, didn't go far enough into the world of samba."

From BBC

Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes, who helped popularise bossa nova and samba with Western audiences, has died at the age of 83, his family has confirmed.

From BBC

But the real stars remain the resilient women who make up Blackswan’s lineup, both past and present, in particular Belgian-Senegalese Fatou Samba.

From Los Angeles Times

Samba — who sings and raps in fluent Korean — as the only original member left was tasked with uniting a new group composed of Gabi Dalcin from Brazil; Sriya Lenka, India’s first K-pop idol; and Florence Smith, known as Nvee, who is biracial and from the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Liani Devito, president of the Samba de Rainha dance school, told BBC News her 71 dancers and drummers would be bringing a "Brazilian flavour" to the streets of Notting Hill.

From BBC

Related Words

• disco
• tango
• waltz