mambo

[ mahm-boh ]

/ ˈmɑm boʊ /

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noun, plural mam·bos.

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

verb (used without object)

to dance the mambo.

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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”

Words nearby mambo

Mamallapuram, Mamaroneck, mama's boy, mamba, Mamberamo, mambo, Mame, mamelon, Mameluke, Mamers, Mamet

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

How to use mambo in a sentence

It was a harder, faster version of mambo, coming from the violin-and-flute-led style of charanga and danced in four-four steps.
John Coltrane and the essence of 1961|Ben Ratliff|November 3, 2021|Washington Post
In this interview with ESSENCE, Andy Burton, founder of Andy Factory shares more on the significance of mambo sauce, why he created Uncle Dell’s Mambo Sauce, how he caught the entrepreneurial bug and what’s next for him after graduation.
These Teen Brothers Are The Geniuses Behind This Popular Mumbo Sauce Brand|Kimberly Wilson|April 12, 2021|Essence.com
And acts like mambo king Pupi Campo and the energetic DeCastro Sisters made Las Vegas their new home.
Will Hyman Roth Return to Havana With Normalized Relations?|John L. Smith|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He started a group called the Hawkettes, which in 1954 recorded "Mardi Gras Mambo," a song still popular around New Orleans.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou|John Ed Bradley|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love By Oscar Hijuelos We love reading about the superstars of music.
What are the Best Novels on Music?|Ted Gioia|October 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The music and Sophia singing “mambo Italiano” always makes us want to dance.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana Choose Their Favorite Italian Films of All Time|Domenico Dolce, Stefano Gabbana|October 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
("Mambo Sun") He was cool because he never straightened his hair.
'T-Rex' Will Never Be Extinct|Simon Doonan|August 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST
But the three men marched on unheeding till they stood before Mambo.
Benita, An African Romance|H. Rider Haggard
Thus sometimes the Molimo, or priest of Munwali, and the Mambo or chief were different persons.
Benita, An African Romance|H. Rider Haggard
"The white gold-seeker does not believe in spirits, and he defies them," Mambo repeated in his sing-song voice.
Benita, An African Romance|H. Rider Haggard

British Dictionary definitions for mambo

mambo

/ (ˈmæmbəʊ) /

noun plural -bos

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

a voodoo priestess

verb -bos, -boing or -boed

(intr) to perform this dance

Word Origin for mambo

American Spanish, probably from Haitian Creole: voodoo priestess

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