flamenco
noun
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
Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
The program aims to demonstrate the breadth and depth of their art form — with pieces spanning the classical, folkloric, contemporary and flamenco styles — and the company’s half-century of output, earning them apt praise both here and abroad.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
Art reigns at the Prado (home to Velázquez and Goya) and the Reina Sofía—where Picasso’s Guernica stirs the soul—but Madrid’s heartbeat is felt in the fierce rhythm of flamenco and the roar of Real Madrid fans at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
While dance and music are vital to flamenco, the festival showcases one of the pillars of the art form.
—Emily Cardenas, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flamenco
Cite this Entry
“Flamenco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flamenco. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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