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carioca

1 American  
[kar-ee-oh-kuh] / ˌkær iˈoʊ kə /

noun

  1. a modification of the samba.

  2. the music for this dance.


Carioca 2 American  
[kar-ee-oh-kuh, kah-ree-aw-kuh] / ˌkær iˈoʊ kə, ˌkɑ riˈɔ kə /

noun

  1. a native of Rio de Janeiro.


carioca British  
/ ˌkærɪˈəʊkə /

noun

  1. a Brazilian dance similar to the samba

  2. a piece of music composed for this dance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of carioca1

First recorded in 1930–35; after Carioca

Origin of Carioca1

1820–30; < Brazilian Portuguese < Tupi, equivalent to cari white + oca house or boca descendant of

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.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes urged “cariocas” — as the residents of Rio are known — to eliminate sources of still water, used by mosquitoes as breeding grounds.

From Seattle Times

Anitta came up as a choir girl in the church she attended with her maternal grandparents, but funk carioca, Brazil’s friskier, rhythmic approach to hip-hop, had captivated the singer from a young age.

From Los Angeles Times

Over the next few years, the sound was repurposed in a variety of new contexts, alongside cumbia, funk carioca and other styles.

From New York Times

Many cariocas, as locals are known, are not strictly following social distancing recommendations, but that doesn’t mean they are willing to spend time out of their homes watching the Copa.

From Seattle Times

Some cariocas, as Rio’s sun-loving residents are known, say the beach is getting unfair attention.

From Reuters