zouk

noun

: a form of French West Indian music blending African rhythms, reggae, calypso, and electronic dance music

Examples of zouk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Think part restaurant pop-up, part food truck fest with over thirty places to choose from, and a side of live entertainment featuring high-energy performances of zouk, soca, and reggae music. Melissa Noel, Essence, 12 Oct. 2023 Born to famed singer Lionel Benjamin in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Mikaben was a vocalist, composer and producer who spanned several genres, including Haitian kompa, the Antillean zouk, Jamaican reggae and hip-hop. Christi Carrasstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2022 Kuduro is an energetic trans-Atlantic clash of genres — including hip-hop, house, zouk and soca — and Pongo adds extra layers, blending them with current electronic styles and mixing in a contemporary pop flavor. Kate Hutchinson, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2020 The more traditional classic ones are compas — that genre is zouk, like Caribbean music, but really romantic dance music, a slower tempo that’s very popular around the Caribbean and Haiti. Raisa Bruner, Time, 11 May 2018 Roseau Inaugurated in 1997, the World Creole Music Festival celebrates French-Caribbean genres including Dominica's indigenous lilting cadence-lypso and propulsive bouyon, zouk from neighboring Guadeloupe and Martinique and Haitian kompa. Patricia Meschino, Billboard, 26 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zouk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Lesser Antillean French Creole, literally, dance party, dance, probably alteration of mazouk French Caribbean ballroom and club dance of the earlier 20th century, alteration of French mazurka mazurka

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zouk was in 1986

Dictionary Entries Near zouk

Cite this Entry

“Zouk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zouk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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