flamenco

[ flah-meng-koh, fluh- ]

/ flɑˈmɛŋ koʊ, flə- /

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noun, plural fla·men·cos.

a style of dancing, characteristic of the Andalusian Roma, that is strongly rhythmic and involves vigorous actions, as clapping the hands and stamping the feet.

a style of instrumental or vocal music originating in southern Spain and typically of an intensely rhythmic, improvisatory character, performed by itself or as an accompaniment to flamenco dancing.

adjective

Also fla·men·can. of or like the music and dances of the Andalusian Roma: flamenco rhythms.

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Origin of flamenco

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Spanish flamenco “pertaining to the Andalusian Roma,” literally, Fleming¹ (in the sense “a native of Flanders”); the sense shift is variously explained

Words nearby flamenco

flame-fusion process, flame gun, flame hardening, flame lamp, flamen, flamenco, flame-of-the-forest, flame-of-the-woods, flame-out, flameproof, flame retardant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flamenco in a sentence

It evolved to rhumba, also known as ballroom rumba in the US and is a major influence of rumba flamenco in Spain.
Rumba’s Congolese roots are finally being recognized by Unesco|Uwagbale Edward-Ekpu|December 21, 2021|Quartz
We went online to Casa Patas—now closed for good by the pandemic—and saw flamenco by video.
Real Madrid|Margery Resnick|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The one I have right now is very focused on dancers, so I might send people a picture of flamenco dancers or a clip of Bob Fosse and I’ll say, “Look at their posture.”
The Lost Year: Exercise in quarantine, keeping a business alive, and the unusual intimacy of Zoom|Emily VanDerWerff|December 31, 2020|Vox
She thanks the band—a neo-folk Flamenco outfit—calling out each member by name.
The Weirdest Pro-Hillary Party Yet|David Freedlander|March 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

So they, like flamenco, are part of a tradition invulnerable to trembling before life at its most decidedly bittersweet.
A Pictorial Ode to Michelle|Stanley Crouch|December 4, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Perico, Naos, and Flamenco, three little islands lying in front of Panama.
Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period|Various
A flame of fire is the Arab signification of their name flamenco.
Unexplored Spain|Abel Chapman
Presently one of the flamenco women quits her chair, and begins to strike extraordinary postures.
The Story of Seville|Walter M. Gallichan
Don Antonio turns to me and shouts in tones of triumph: "¿Qué flamenco, eh?"
Rosinante to the Road Again|John Dos Passos
But that which I will teach you will be a classicized Flamenco.
Poor Folk in Spain|Jan Gordon

British Dictionary definitions for flamenco

flamenco

/ (fləˈmɛŋkəʊ) /

noun plural -cos

a type of dance music for vocal soloist and guitar, characterized by elaborate melody and sad mood

the dance performed to such music

Word Origin for flamenco

from Spanish: like a gipsy, literally: Fleming, from Middle Dutch Vlaminc Fleming

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