bolero

American  

[buh-lair-oh, boh-] / bəˈlɛər oʊ, boʊ- /

noun

plural

boleros

1. a lively Spanish dance in triple meter.

2. the music for this dance.

3. a jacket ending above or at the waistline, with or without collar, lapel, and sleeves, worn open in front.

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bolero British  

/ bəˈlɛərəʊ /

noun

1. a Spanish dance, often accompanied by the guitar and castanets, usually in triple time

2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

3. a kind of short jacket not reaching the waist, with or without sleeves and open at the front: worn by men in Spain and by women elsewhere

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Etymology

Origin of bolero

Borrowed into English from Spanish around 1780–90

Explanation

A bolero is a type of quick, lively Spanish dance. It's also a short jacket worn mainly by women. You could dance a bolero in a bolero, because this word refers to both clothes and music. The kind of bolero you wear is a short jacket that just about comes down to the waist. A bolero is most often worn by women: except in Spain, where men wear it too. The dance is a quick-paced type of music that you could do to Ravel's famous piece, also called Bolero. Both the music and the jacket come from Spain.

Example Sentences

Porter originally wrote it as a sultry bolero, but Sinatra and Riddle supercharge it into one of the singer’s most celebrated uptempo showcases.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The crinoline-skirted kingfisher blue gown and matching bolero jacket the Queen wore for her sister Princess Margaret's wedding in 1960 has an "incredible timeless quality", says de Guitaut.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

But Peluso appeared onstage sporting the regal poise of an operatic diva — a cross between La Lupe and Maria Callas — and then belted out “Corleone,” a sweeping orchestral bolero.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2025

Instead, the Ballet Nacional de España began its program on March 8 with “Invocación Bolera,” a modern evocation of the 18th-century escuela bolero, which is essentially Baroque ballet with Spanish poses and castanets.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2024

Cool air finds its way into the fur bolero draped over my shoulders, and I squeeze it tightly closed.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton