flamenco

noun

fla·​men·​co flə-ˈmeŋ-(ˌ)kō How to pronounce flamenco (audio)
plural flamencos
1
: a vigorous rhythmic dance style of the Andalusian Gypsies
also : a dance in flamenco style
2
: music or song suitable to accompany a flamenco dance

Did you know?

The Spanish word flamenco means “Flemish,” and its later usage in the sense “Gypsy-like,” especially in reference to a song, dance, and guitar-music style, has inspired a number of hypotheses about why the word flamenco came to be associated with Gypsies; however, all of these theories seem implausible. Perhaps more promisingly, in the later 19th century flamenco also meant “jaunty, cocky” and, in reference to women, “provocatively attractive,” The suggestion has been made that “Gypsylike” is a secondary development from these senses. The ordinary Spanish word for “Gypsy” is gitano, which like the English Gypsy, is altered from a word meaning “Egyptian.”

Examples of flamenco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Madrid, Spain From flamenco to football to flea markets, Spain’s capital is a city of inexhaustible delights. Peter Terzian, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025 Densmore was a jazz drummer, Manzarek was steeped in Chicago blues, Morrison was a poet with a compelling set of pipes, and Krieger was a flamenco guitarist. Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 14 May 2025 New Mexico's largest city boasts a world-famous flamenco festival that's coming up later this month. John Burnett, NPR, 7 June 2025 The show is bold, sensual, and unmistakably Faena—blending flamenco, burlesque, and contemporary dance into a captivating whole. Caroline Tell, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flamenco

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from flamenco of the Gypsies, literally, Flemish, from Middle Dutch Vlaminc Fleming

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flamenco was in 1896

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Cite this Entry

“Flamenco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flamenco. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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