bolero

[buh-lair-oh, boh-]

noun

plural

boleros 

1. a lively Spanish dance in triple meter.

2. the music for this dance.

3. a jacket ending above or at the waistline, with or without collar, lapel, and sleeves, worn open in front.

bolero

/ bəˈlɛərəʊ /

noun

1. a Spanish dance, often accompanied by the guitar and castanets, usually in triple time

2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

3. a kind of short jacket not reaching the waist, with or without sleeves and open at the front: worn by men in Spain and by women elsewhere

Word History and Origins

Origin of bolero¹

Borrowed into English from Spanish around 1780–90

Word History and Origins

Origin of bolero¹

C18: from Spanish; perhaps related to bola ball

Example Sentences

If it came out sounding like Ministry or a norteña or a bolero or disco or punk, then that’s what it was.

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Meanwhile, in Latin America, the mournful tones of traditional boleros and rancheras gave way to more alternative expressions of heartache, influenced by anglophone artists and accented with distinctly Latino flourishes of romance.

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A new library donated by China looms over the central square, where children splash in a fountain and boleros play from speakers hidden among trees.

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The opening namesake track kicks off this new era of “Raúl “ with a simmering bolero colored with jazzy trumpets and tantalizing conga drumming.

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The song flutters with the levity of a bolero.

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