samba
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a lively modern ballroom dance from Brazil in bouncy duple time
-
a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
verb
Etymology
Origin of samba
First recorded in 1885; from Portuguese, of African origin, possibly Kongo semba, the name of a dance
Vocabulary lists containing samba
South America - Middle School
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South America - Introductory
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South America - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He paints his fingernails and is no stranger to samba dancing in the finish area, wanting to bring more colour to alpine skiing.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
Paulinha Peixoto, 39, who leads the samba dancers, known for striking outfits and dizzying footwork, said putting on a show was "a team effort".
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
Back in the actual 1990s, ice dancers cycled through traditional dances: samba, blues, polka, rumba, quickstep, tango, jive, paso doble, Viennese waltz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
Watching the rehearsal, Adriano Santos, a 43-year-old social worker from the Rocinha favela, said the samba school was "being brave, innovative."
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
As my samba music filled the arena, the crowd began to clap in time with the beat.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
