Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for hip-hop. Search instead for hiphop.

hip-hop

American  
[hip-hop] / ˈhɪpˌhɒp /
Or hip hop

noun

  1. a popular culture movement originated by Black performers in New York City in the 1970s and characterized by rap music, break dancing, and graffiti art.

    The choreographer was a pioneer in introducing hip-hop to the national and international stage.

    Writing about hip-hop was really just an excuse to write about all these other aspects of Black culture.

  2. rap music.


adjective

  1. relating to or characteristic of this movement.

    Unlike other big-name designers, he tapped into hip-hop street styles, which made him one of the wealthiest designers of the 1990s.

hip-hop British  
/ ˈhɪpˌhɒp /

noun

  1. a US pop culture movement originating in the 1980s comprising rap music, graffiti, and break dancing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hip-hop Cultural  
  1. Another name for rap music.


Discover More

The term hip-hop also refers to the speech, fashions, and personal style adopted by many youths, particularly in urban areas.

Etymology

Origin of hip-hop

First recorded in 1975–80; probably hip 4 ( def. ) + hop 1 ( def. ) (in the sense “act of hopping”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But her voice—slightly nasal, with conversational phrasing and clipped inflections informed by hip-hop—is instantly identifiable, and conveys intelligence and intimacy while sounding perfectly natural in glittery electronic productions.

From The Wall Street Journal

While their music is at times reminiscent of the free jazz of Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman, it also brings in elements of electronic music, punk rock and hip-hop.

From Los Angeles Times

About 50,000 rap, R&B and hip-hop fans head to the event each day.

From BBC

As his deceit becomes apparent, the music shifts from crisp hip-hop beats to a hard-boiled film noir crescendo.

From BBC

If hip-hop is the folk music of the post-industrial age, then Slick Rick is it's Woody Guthrie.

From BBC