salsa

[ sahl-suh; Spanish sahl-sah ]

noun

1. Mexican Cooking. a hot sauce of tomatoes and chile peppers with onion and garlic, and sometimes seasoned with cumin or fresh cilantro, often used as a condiment or served as a dip.
2. a lively, vigorous type of contemporary Latin American popular music, blending predominantly Cuban rhythms with elements of jazz, rock, and soul music.
3. a ballroom dance of Puerto Rican origin, performed to this music, similar to the mambo, but faster with the accent on the first beat instead of the second beat of each measure.

verb (used without object)

1. to dance the salsa.

salsa

/ ˈsælsə /

noun

1. a type of Latin American big-band dance music
2. a dance performed to this kind of music
3. Mexican cookery a spicy tomato-based sauce

Word History and Origins

Origin of salsa¹

First recorded in 1845–50, and in 1970–75 salsa fordefs 2, 3; from Latin American Spanish, Spanish: literally, “sauce”; the dance and music were probably so called originally because of the mixture of styles

Word History and Origins

Origin of salsa¹

C20: from Spanish: sauce

Example Sentences

He used a musical analogy: “The distance between the tango and salsa is enormous, but it’s all recognized as Latin American music,” he said.

From New York Times

The judges' decision to save Douglas, who performed a salsa to Thelma Houston's Don't Leave Me This Way was unanimous.

From BBC

What I didn’t know then — and have since learned — is that what was delighting my taste buds was a Mexican chili oil with roots in Orizaba, Veracruz, known as salsa macha.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of L.A.’s favorite restaurants are packaging their own sauces, salsas and spices — and so are we.

From Los Angeles Times

The US island territory's red, white and blue flag adorns homes and businesses, and the sounds of salsa and reggaetón boom from passing cars and restaurants selling fried plantains and spit-roasted pork.

From BBC

Related Words

• dressing
• gravy
• horseradish
• ketchup
• mustard
• pepper
• relish
• salt
• sauce
• seasoning
• spice