samba

[sam-buh, sahm-]

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noun, plural sam·bas.

a rhythmic, Brazilian ballroom dance of African origin.

verb (used without object), sam·baed, sam·ba·ing.

to dance the samba.

Origin of samba

First recorded in 1880–85, samba is from the Portuguese word samba, alleged to be of African orig.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for samba

“We want her to appear with the Samba band and come on and say ‘Shut the ---- up’,” one of the organisers explained.
Dame Helen Mirren: One Loves Drummers, Just Not Outside A Theatre|Tom Sykes|May 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Behind the samba beat, the country remains deeply polarized at home, in politics, and in the pews.
Brazil’s Surge in Violence Against Gays Is Just Getting Worse|Kristian Jebsen|April 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was none other than comic Margaret Cho, dancing a samba to the story of “pride.”
Best Moments From Dancing With the Stars|Sujay Kumar, The Daily Beast Video|October 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The Woz busted a move—and who knows what else—doing “the worm” in the middle of a samba routine in Season Nine.
11 Most Awkward Dancing Stars|The Daily Beast Video|August 17, 2009|DAILY BEAST

BREAKOUT MOMENT: Shaking her hips—Elvis be damned—during a too-hot-for-prime time samba with partner Helio Castroneves in 2007.
Breakout Blondes|Alison Prato|May 26, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Samba, the son of Mboyo, chief of Banonga, was to be whipped.
Samba|Herbert Strang
From the prisoner Samba learnt the whole history of the party since the time it left Elbel in the forest.
Samba|Herbert Strang
We found a fire of blazing wood in Samba's hut, and sat down on mats to gossip and smoke till dinner should be served.
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal Vol. XVII. No. 418. New Series.|William and Robert Chambers
Samba got up: Pat had left him and stood in the entrance to the tent; the whine had become a growl.
Samba|Herbert Strang
Pat was stretched beside him, his eyes fixed on Samba, his ears pricked forward.
Samba|Herbert Strang

British Dictionary definitions for samba

samba

noun plural -bas

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 -bas, -baing or -baed

(intr) to perform such a dance

Word Origin for samba

Portuguese, of African origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for samba

Brazilian dance of African origin, 1885, Zemba, from Portuguese samba, shortened form of zambacueca, a type of dance, probably altered (by influence of zamacueco "stupid") from zambapalo, the name of a grotesque dance, itself an alteration of zampapalo "stupid man," from zamparse "to bump, crash." As a verb from 1949.