rumba
[ ruhm-buh, room-, room- ]
/ ˈrʌm bə, ˈrʊm-, ˈrum- /
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noun, plural rum·bas [ruhm-buhz, room-, room-]. /ˈrʌm bəz, ˈrʊm-, ˈrum-/.
a dance, Cuban in origin and complex in rhythm.
an imitation or adaptation of this dance in the U.S.
music for this dance or in its rhythm.
verb (used without object), rum·baed [ruhm-buhd, room-, room-], /ˈrʌm bəd, ˈrʊm-, ˈrum-/, rum·ba·ing [ruhm-buh-ing, room-, room-]. /ˈrʌm bə ɪŋ, ˈrʊm-, ˈrum-/.
to dance the rumba.
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Also rhum·ba .
Origin of rumba
Borrowed into English from American Spanish around 1920–25
Words nearby rumba
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for rumba
Henry's teeth already were chattering like the gourds in a rumba band.
Henry Horn's X-Ray Eye Glasses|Dwight V. SwainHe snatched up the startled girls' counselor and improvised a little rumba.
Adolescents Only|Irving E. Cox
British Dictionary definitions for rumba
rumba
rhumba
/ (ˈrʌmbə, ˈrʊm-) /
noun
a rhythmic and syncopated Cuban dance in duple time
a ballroom dance derived from this
a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
Word Origin for rumba
C20: from Spanish: lavish display, of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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