salsa

American  

[sahl-suh, sahl-sah] / ˈsɑl sə, ˈsɑl sɑ /

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.

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verb (used without object)

1. to dance the salsa.

salsa British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of salsa

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

Example Sentences

At one point, they create a “Jaws” parody with a tortilla chip and jar of salsa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Enjoy food, music and dance from the African diaspora, organized by Union Cultural Center, and featuring Afro-Cuban salsa instruction. . 6-9 p.m.

From Seattle Times

Pricey tomatoes: Tomato goods, including ketchup, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup and salsa, might be more expensive the next time you go to the grocery store, KNBC-TV reports.

From New York Times

He hosts the monthly “Puerto Rican Rumble Rock Radio Offensive” show on WKCR-FM, where he creates dubbed-out versions of salsa and Latin soul classics.

From New York Times

The title of this song translates as “To Move Your Feet,” and the horns-driven band gives it an unbeatable salsa groove rooted in Puerto Rican plena.

From New York Times

Related Words

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