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

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

As an emo girl at heart with a deep-rooted appreciation for salsa and cumbia, her fusion of Mexican R&B quickly progressed into a hodgepodge of successfully synced influences.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead of canned tomatoes for salsas, for instance, they’re roasting them like in the old days.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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