salsa

[ sahl-suh; Spanish sahl-sah ]

noun

1. Mexican Cooking. a hot sauce of tomatoes and chile peppers with onion and garlic, and sometimes seasoned with cumin or fresh cilantro, often used as a condiment or served as a dip.
2. a lively, vigorous type of contemporary Latin American popular music, blending predominantly Cuban rhythms with elements of jazz, rock, and soul music.
3. a ballroom dance of Puerto Rican origin, performed to this music, similar to the mambo, but faster with the accent on the first beat instead of the second beat of each measure.

verb (used without object)

1. to dance the salsa.

salsa

/ ˈsælsə /

noun

1. a type of Latin American big-band dance music
2. a dance performed to this kind of music
3. Mexican cookery a spicy tomato-based sauce

Word History and Origins

Origin of salsa¹

First recorded in 1845–50, and in 1970–75 salsa fordefs 2, 3; from Latin American Spanish, Spanish: literally, “sauce”; the dance and music were probably so called originally because of the mixture of styles

Word History and Origins

Origin of salsa¹

C20: from Spanish: sauce

Example Sentences

In most of the videos, amateur salsa makers practice the craft over a sink or a kitchen counter.

From Washington Post

The proof is in the sheer number of TikToks featuring homemade salsa.

From Washington Post

Candice Woo, Eater San Diego editorEl Machete 1924, Los Angeles LA-based El Machete 1924 has a line of handcrafted salsas, and all of them are brilliant.

From Eater

Missy Frederick, Eater cities director I’m obsessed with salsa seca, a dry, crunchy mix of seeds, chiles, and spices that adds as much texture as flavor to anything you put it on.

From Eater

Ashok Selvam, Eater Chicago senior editorArriba labels promising “fire-roasted” salsa do not lie.

From Eater

Occasionally a pamphlet for a salsa class might be tossed on a doorstop or stuck on a pole near a bus stop.

From The Daily Beast

At under 200 pages, the book seems like chips and salsa on the table when you are expecting a four course meal.

From The Daily Beast

It is served atop tamarind butter sauce and topped with grilled pineapple salsa.

From The Daily Beast

Chile relleno is another meatless meal, served in a mild salsa ranchero redolent of tomatoes.

From The Daily Beast

They ate chips and salsa and guacamole and steak fajitas and slept in a real bed for the first time in days, indoors.

From The Daily Beast

I stepped into the nearest burrito joint and ordered one with carnitas -- shredded pork -- and extra salsa.

From Project Gutenberg

The Italians call a preface salsa del libro, the salt of the book.

From Project Gutenberg

In the same locality is the basilica of Saint Salsa erected over her tomb.

From Project Gutenberg

You could serve her old tires and she'd eat 'em if she could smother them in salsa.

From Project Gutenberg

Baldissera opened negotiations with the negus through Major Salsa, and simultaneously reorganized the Italian army.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dressing
• gravy
• horseradish
• ketchup
• mustard
• pepper
• relish
• salt
• sauce
• seasoning
• spice