rhumba

1 of 2

noun (1)

rhum·​ba

less common spelling of rumba

: a ballroom dance of Cuban origin in ²/₄ or ⁴/₄ time with a basic pattern of step-close-step and marked by a delayed transfer of weight and pronounced hip movements

also : the music for this dance

rumba

2 of 2

noun (2)

rum·​ba ˈrəm-bə 

ˈru̇m-, 

ˈrüm-

variants or less commonly rhumba

: a ballroom dance of Cuban origin in ²/₄ or ⁴/₄ time with a basic pattern of step-close-step and marked by a delayed transfer of weight and pronounced hip movements

also : the music for this dance

Examples of rhumba in a Sentence

Noun (2)

The band played a rumba.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Murder of crows: A murder of crows likely originated because crows were associated with battlefields, executions, and ominous folklore, says Cassill. Knot of snakes: The official names for a group of snakes are nest or knot, and for rattlesnakes, a rhumba. —Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 26 May 2026

Her camera is alive, quirky, colorful, ready for a rumble or a rhumba. —Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026

Noun

The ringtone was a rumba song by Spanish band Los Desgraciaus called Los Coches Chocones. —Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 27 May 2026

Like almost all modern iterations of music, the genre of Catalan rumba has evolved alongside streaming-era influences and the younger generations of musicians who have taken up its sonic essences and distilled them through their own lenses. —Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

American Spanish

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1912, in the meaning defined above