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rumba

[ ruhm-buh, room-, room- ]

noun

, plural rum·bas [ruhm, -b, uh, z, room, -, room, -].
  1. a dance, Cuban in origin and complex in rhythm.
  2. an imitation or adaptation of this dance in the United States.
  3. music for this dance or in its rhythm.


verb (used without object)

, rum·baed [ruhm, -b, uh, d, room, -, room, -], rum·ba·ing [ruhm, -b, uh, -ing, room, -, room, -].
  1. to dance the rumba.

rumba

/ ˈrʌmbə; ˈrʊm- /

noun

  1. a rhythmic and syncopated Cuban dance in duple time
  2. a ballroom dance derived from this
  3. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
“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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of rumba1

First recorded in 1910–15; from Latin American Spanish (Cuba): literally, “party; spree,” from Spanish rumbo “commotion, uproar,” earlier “ostentation, pomp”; further origin uncertain
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Word History and Origins

Origin of rumba1

C20: from Spanish: lavish display, of uncertain origin
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Example Sentences

Afrobeats, afropop, soukous, rumba, gengetone, kwaito and Arabic pop—these are some of the sounds breaking through Africa’s borders and bringing the world’s attention to the continent.

From Quartz

Henry's teeth already were chattering like the gourds in a rumba band.

He snatched up the startled girls' counselor and improvised a little rumba.

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