conga

American  

[kong-guh] / ˈkɒŋ gə /

noun

plural

congas

1. Also called conga line.  a Cuban ballroom dance that consists of three steps forward followed by a kick, characteristically performed by a group following a leader in a single line.

2. the music for this dance.

3. Also called conga drum.  a tall, conical, Afro-Cuban drum played with the hands.

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verb (used without object)

congaed, congaing

1. to dance a conga.

conga British  

/ ˈkɒŋɡə /

noun

1. a Latin American dance of three steps and a kick to each bar, usually performed by a number of people in single file

2. Also called: conga drum.  a large tubular bass drum, used chiefly in Latin American and funk music and played with the hands

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verb

1. (intr) to dance the conga

Etymology

Origin of conga

First recorded in 1930–35; from Cuban Spanish

Example Sentences

The rosé flows, club music plays at tolerable volumes and you won’t find any conga lines or overserved patrons dancing on tables for Instagram likes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Squeezing past a set of congas he came to his signature instrument – the vibraphone.

From BBC

In no time, there were conga lines and limbo contests, and by the wee hours, someone always ended up at the emergency room and at least one marriage was in peril.

From The Wall Street Journal

Arnaz gained celebrity as the American popularizer of the conga, an Afro Cuban line dance that his father had once tried to ban.

From Los Angeles Times

Celebrations included conga lines, bubble machines, dolphins swimming in the ocean alongside them, and sunsets burning orange on the horizon.

From BBC

Related Words

• disco
• samba
• tango
• waltz