jota

[ hoh-tuh; Spanish haw-tah ]

noun,plural jo·tas [hoh-tuhz; Spanish haw-tahs]. /ˈhoʊ təz; Spanish ˈhɔ tɑs/.
  1. a Spanish dance in triple meter, performed by a couple and marked by complex rhythms executed with the heels and castanets.

  2. the music for this dance.

Origin of jota

1
1840–50; <Spanish, probably Old Spanish sota dance, derivative of sotar to dance <Latin saltāre

Words Nearby jota

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

Origin of jota

1
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