mambo

American  

[mahm-boh] / ˈmɑm boʊ /

noun

mambos plural

1. a fast ballroom dance of Caribbean origin, rhythmically similar to the rumba and cha-cha but having a more complex pattern of steps.

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verb (used without object)

1. to dance the mambo.

mambo British  

/ ˈmæmbəʊ /

noun

1. a modern Latin American dance, resembling the rumba, derived from the ritual dance of voodoo

2. a voodoo priestess

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verb

1. (intr) to perform this dance

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• mambos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mambo

First recorded in 1935–40; from Caribbean Spanish (Cuba), from Haitian Creole manbo “ritual dance; Vodou priestess”; perhaps from Kongo màmbu, plural of diàmbu “ritual negotiation, message”

Example Sentences

To honor the ongoing local heritage of mambo sauce, an original documentary about the restaurateurs, fans, small business owners and sauce-makers behind it will be uploaded to the McDonald’s YouTube channel on Oct.

From Washington Times • Sep. 26, 2023

For the first four innings, the Mariners seemed destined to take a step back in their never-ending dance between a winning record and a losing record — call it the mambo of mediocrity.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 17, 2023

Arriving at the dawn of the mambo era, this song is a riveting immersion in Puente’s rapidly coalescing sound.

From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2023

He then regaled the crowd — and even got Taylor Swift out of her seat to dance! — with his explosive mambo track, “Despues de la Playa.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2023

From son an abundant range of dance and song types blossomed: danzon, rumba, guaguanco, yambu, bossa nova, mambo, chachacha, conga, and eventually salsa.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall