merengue

[muh-reng-gey]

noun

1. a ballroom dance of Dominican and Haitian origin, characterized by a stiff-legged, limping step.

2. the music for this dance.

verb (used without object)

merengued, merenguing 

1. to dance the merengue.

merengue

/ məˈrɛŋɡeɪ /

noun

1. a type of lively dance music originating in the Dominican Republic, which combines African and Spanish elements

2. a Caribbean dance in duple time with syncopated rhythm performed to such music

Word History and Origins

Origin of merengue¹

First recorded in 1880–90; from Latin American Spanish merengue, meringue, and probably a special use of Spanish merengue meringue ( def. ), but the semantic development is unclear

Word History and Origins

Origin of merengue¹

from American Spanish and Haitian Creole

Example Sentences

It’s a genre that emerged from people combining hip-hop, dancehall reggae and all manner of Latin American genres, like salsa and merengue.

Read more on Salon

There’s no merengue in English because there’s no need for merengue in English.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There’s salsa, merengue, South American folk, and “Dolce,” a gorgeous corrido tumbado about that infamous red dress that went viral.

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Also sprinkled throughout the record are buoyant Caribbean tracks, like the already popular merengue hit “Vagabundo,” featuring Manuel Turizo and Beéle, and “2AM,” his reggaeton collaboration with Bad Gyal that revamps Dido’s 1999 song “Thank You.”

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Police lieutenant Virgilio Rafael Cruz Aponte was one of the 231 people killed when the roof of the Jet Set music venue collapsed during a merengue music concert.

Read more on BBC