a ballroom dance of Latin American origin, danced by couples, and having many varied steps, figures, and poses.
music for this dance.
a word used in communications to represent the letter T.
a Latin American dance in duple time, characterized by long gliding steps and sudden pauses
a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
First recorded in 1910–15; from Latin American Spanish, possibly from a Niger-Congo language such as Ibibio tamgu “to dance”
The noun tango usually refers to the Argentine tango, a dramatic ballroom dance, and the expressive music that goes along with it. The tango is known for being a passionate, emotional form of dance in which the dancing couple hold each other closely and make abrupt — yet graceful — movements. The accompanying music is equally dramatic and varied, often featuring many instruments such as violin, piano, and bandoneón, a type of concertina or small accordion. The word tango is of Latin American Spanish origin, probably from an African root word.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In one sequence, a solemn Gregorian chant pivots to a tango as Grace and Rocky’s ships connect airlock-to-airlock in spinning orbit.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
Duvall was married three times before meeting Luciana Pedraza, a young woman who was dared by her friends to approach him on a Buenos Aires street and invite him to a tango gathering.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 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
It takes two to tango, but it was only she who paid the band.
From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026
Mango tango disappeared under it and she had to put it on again.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
