bebop
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bebop
An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; probably from the nonsense syllables typical of scat singing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Americans were settling down, ballrooms were fading, and audiences were turning to bebop, rhythm and blues, and singers such as Frank Sinatra.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
His playing from the ’40s, when bebop was becoming the principal jazz dialect, still sounds remarkable.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2024
Although he was in his 50s, he embraced rap music because he saw similarities with the energy of bebop jazz, and because may of its stars had risen out of hardship on the streets.
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2024
Heath, who was known as Tootie, was primarily a bebop and hard bop drummer but was adept in a range of styles.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2024
Before bebop, the solos bore some resemblance - at least as they began - to the song’s original melody and they also adhered to its key-family and chordal logic.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
