jota

[ hoh-tuh; Spanish haw-tah ]

/ ˈhoʊ tə; Spanish ˈhɔ tɑ /

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noun, plural jo·tas

[hoh-tuhz; Spanish haw-tahs]. /ˈhoʊ təz; Spanish ˈhɔ tɑs/.

a Spanish dance in triple meter, performed by a couple and marked by complex rhythms executed with the heels and castanets.

the music for this dance.

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Origin of jota

1840–50; <Spanish, probably Old Spanish sota dance, derivative of sotar to dance <Latin saltāre

Words nearby jota

josser, joss house, joss stick, jostle, jot, jota, jotter, jotting, Jotun, Jotunheim, joual

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use jota in a sentence

The malaguena is Andalusian, and the jota is Aragonese; but both are popular in Castile.
Spanish Life in Town and Country|L. Higgin and Eugne E. Street
She turned from the window to greet Mercedes who came in to bid them come down to the patio to practice the jota.
The Four Corners Abroad|Amy Ella Blanchard
It was energetic exercise and they were rather tired when the last notes of the jota ended.
The Four Corners Abroad|Amy Ella Blanchard
"And those great giant figures dancing the jota all the time the procession was moving," said Mary Lee.
The Four Corners Abroad|Amy Ella Blanchard

She is to wear it to-morrow, and she is teaching me the jota.
The Four Corners Abroad|Amy Ella Blanchard

British Dictionary definitions for jota

jota

/ (Spanish ˈxɔta) /

noun

a Spanish dance with castanets in fast triple time, usually to a guitar and voice accompaniment

Word Origin for jota

Spanish, probably modification of Old Spanish sota, from sotar to dance, from Latin saltāre

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