lambada

[ lahm-bah-duh, ‑dah ]

noun

, plural lam·ba·das.

1. a Brazilian ballroom dance for couples, with gyrating movements and close interlocking of the partners.
2. music for this dance.

lambada

/ læmˈbɑːdə /

noun

1. an erotic dance, originating in Brazil, performed by two people who hold each other closely and gyrate their hips in synchronized movements
2. the music that accompanies the lambada, combining salsa, calypso, and reggae

Word History and Origins

Origin of lambada¹

1985–90; < Brazilian Portuguese; Portuguese: a whipping, equivalent to lamb ( ar ) to whip, lash + -ada -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of lambada¹

C20: from Portuguese, literally: the snapping of a whip

Example Sentences

Incensed by this, Valerie reacts in kind by doing a sort of quasi-Lambada with her homegirl Roxanne.

From The Daily Beast