tango

American  

[tang-goh] / ˈtæŋ goʊ /

noun

plural

tangos

1. a ballroom dance of Latin American origin, danced by couples, and having many varied steps, figures, and poses.

2. music for this dance.

3. a word used in communications to represent the letter T.

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verb (used without object)

tangoed, tangoing

1. to dance the tango.

tango ¹ British  

/ ˈtæŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a Latin American dance in duple time, characterized by long gliding steps and sudden pauses

2. a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

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verb

1. (intr) to perform this dance

Tango ² British  

/ ˈtæŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. communications a code word for the letter t

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tango Cultural  

1. A sensual ballroom dance that originated in South America in the early twentieth century.

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Other Word Forms

• tangoist noun

Etymology

Origin of tango

First recorded in 1910–15; from Latin American Spanish, possibly from a Niger-Congo language such as Ibibio tamgu “to dance”

Example Sentences

Ellie was voted out in week six, Halloween week, after dancing a tango to Lady Gaga's Abracadabra.

From BBC

But after weeks of tangos, salsas and foxtrots, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the public vote.

From BBC

The men also have solo turns but the suite leaves only a passing impression, of postmodern tango mixed with occasional sleek social dancing.

From The Wall Street Journal

She said she was particularly worried about learning the Charleston and the tango.

From BBC

"It's the result of a rare 'atmospheric tango' between the monsoon and the westerly disturbance," said Akshay Deoras, a research scientist with the department of meteorology at University of Reading in the UK.

From BBC

Related Words

• disco
• samba
• waltz