bolero

American  

[buh-lair-oh, boh-] / bəˈlɛər oʊ, boʊ- /

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.

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bolero British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of bolero

Borrowed into English from Spanish around 1780–90

Example Sentences

“Para Ti,” the only Spanish song on the LP, sounds like it could come out of one of your abuelo’s bolero albums.

From Los Angeles Times

After spotting the moss green, knee-length frock with matching bolero jacket in the window of her local J.J.

From The Wall Street Journal

She started off by performing boleros for her family, then studied to become a classically trained singer.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times