bebop
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bebop
An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; probably from the nonsense syllables typical of scat singing
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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.
Americans were settling down, ballrooms were fading, and audiences were turning to bebop, rhythm and blues, and singers such as Frank Sinatra.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
It was prompted by a dinner conversation, where Evangeline suggested the family could just get on Carlile's boat and "bebop up to Canada" if gay marriage was outlawed.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025
The bebop groove abandons James, too, slowing into jagged drum solos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
Heath, who was known as Tootie, was primarily a bebop and hard bop drummer but was adept in a range of styles.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
If he had been a piano player instead of a guitarist, one might say bebop grew from the solos of his right hand while rock and roll grew from the accompaniment of his left.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
