flamenco

noun

fla·​men·​co flə-ˈmeŋ-(ˌ)kō 

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

There is also the Spanish dancer, a slug in the form of a bright red wavy flamenco shawl. —Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

The non-televised Premiere ceremony started, in a nod to the host city of Sevilla, with a lengthy homage to flamenco featuring performers Israel Fernández, Niña Pastori, Omar Montes, Juanfe Pérez and Diego Guerrero. —Leila Cobo, Billboard, 16 Nov. 2023

So what might seem like improvements or expansions — elaborate group choreography, imaginative conceits — risk straying from the emotional core that makes flamenco flamenco. —Brian Seibert, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024

In Florence, for example, travelers can attend an operatic evening at the Goldoni Theatre, and in Palma de Mallorca, passengers can experience flamenco dancing. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023

Quarterdeck, multiple locations Española Way, Miami Beach, FL 33139 Española Way Pick from a range of daily deals and entertainment this week on Española Way, including Friday night flamenco at Tapas y Tintos, Saturday morning yoga, and Saturday night Samba at Boteco Copacabana. —Amanda Mesa, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

Photograph by Andres D'Elia Flashy production values have become increasingly central to flamenco shows; Noche Flamenca is remarkable for keeping things simple. —The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2023

His debut is a whirlwind of flamenco, jungle, trap, and dembow with distorted beat changes and delicate humanity. —Pitchfork, 12 Dec. 2023

Contrary to dominant assumptions about flamenco in U.S. media, the folk genre bloomed from struggle; the stories the Andalusian artist tells in her songs speak to the hardships that Romani women have historically faced in Spain. —Pitchfork, 13 Dec. 2023

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