samba
pronunciation
How to pronounce samba in British English:
UK [ˈsæmbə]
How to pronounce samba in American English:
US [ˈsæmbə, ˈsɑm-]
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- Noun:
- large west African tree having large palmately lobed leaves and axillary cymose panicles of small white flowers and one-winged seeds; yields soft white to pale yellow wood
- music composed for dancing the samba
- a lively ballroom dance from Brazil
- a form of canasta using three decks and six jokers
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- Verb:
- dance the samba
Word Origin
- samba (n.)
- 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.
Example
- 1. The samba schools are famous for their elaborate costumes and make-up .
- 2. An old man stands up with a nurse and begins a determined samba .
- 3. Drum queen barbosa of the unidos da tijuca samba school dances during the annual carnival parade in rio de janeiro 's sambadrome .
- 4. A reveller from the unidos da tijuca samba school takes part in the annual carnival parade in rio de janeiro 's sambadrome .
- 5. Revellers from the salgueiro samba school takes part in the parade on the second night of the annual carnival parade in rio de janeiro 's sambadrome .