reggae
[ reg-ey ]
/ ˈrɛg eɪ /
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noun
a style of Jamaican popular music blending blues, calypso, and rock-'n'-roll, characterized by a strong syncopated rhythm and lyrics of social protest.
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Origin of reggae
<Jamaican English, respelling of reggay (introduced in the song “Do the Reggay” (1968) by Frederick “Toots” Hibbert), a dance name based on rege, *strege a dowdy or raggedy fellow; compare rege-rege ragged clothing, quarrel, row
Words nearby reggae
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for reggae
British Dictionary definitions for reggae
reggae
/ (ˈrɛɡeɪ) /
noun
a type of West Indian popular music having four beats to the bar, the upbeat being strongly accented
Word Origin for reggae
C20: of West Indian origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Cultural definitions for reggae
reggae
[ (reg-ay) ]
A form of pop music that originated in Jamaica, combining elements of calypso and rhythm and blues (see blues) with a strongly accentuated offbeat. Bob Marley was the first internationally known reggae musician.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.