flamenco

American  

[flah-meng-koh, fluh-] / flɑˈmɛŋ koʊ, flə- /

noun

• flamencos
  plural

1. 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.

2. 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.

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adjective

1. Also flamencan. of or like the music and dances of the Andalusian Roma.

   flamenco rhythms.

flamenco British  

/ fləˈmɛŋkəʊ /

noun

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

2. the dance performed to such music

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flamencos
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of flamenco

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Spanish flamenco “pertaining to the Andalusian Roma,” literally, Fleming ¹ (in the sense “a native of Flanders”); the sense shift is variously explained

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flamenco flamencos

Alicia also exposed Huerta and her two siblings to the arts; Huerta played violin as a child and did tap and flamenco dancing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Back against the wall, Rosalía persuaded a production company called Canada to help make videos for several of her songs, which zhuzhed flamenco, a traditional Spanish genre, with state-of-the-art electronics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

There’s an atemporal quality to Guitarrica’s music, at once vibrant and youthful, of its moment with pop hooks but simultaneously pulling from the traditional sounds of flamenco and rumba.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

She devoted an entire year to the lyrics alone, singing in 14 languages, over music that sits at the lesser explored intersection of classical, flamenco and avant-pop.

From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025

Josiah heard her cranking the Victrola; the needle scratched over the flamenco music.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

Then I started meeting other flamencos and got turned on to their music and their history and seeing how that connected to my universe.

From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2016

Since then, life has been a dizzying, prosperous round of flamencos on movie sets, stages and nightclub floors.

From Time Magazine Archive

She swirled in flamencos, glided through a waltz, and in the purple breeches of a matador climaxed a gymnastic bullfight on pointes as delicately as a Russian ballerina.

From Time Magazine Archive

Don Francisco's maid screeched flamencos and his dog howled.

From Time Magazine Archive

The strumming of flamencos on a brae Were not more singular.

From Time Magazine Archive

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