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
Leila Cobo, Billboard, 15 Dec. 2025
The truth is that the flamenco-fusion artist undertook years of research and hired the London Symphony Orchestra not to teach—nor even, despite her saintly air, to preach.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
PeriFeria is an off-frame chronicle of Spain’s most iconic flamenco celebration.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 9 Dec. 2025
Exchanging fluttering notes of closure with Spanish flamenco veterans Estrella Morente and Silvia Pérez Cruz, Rosalía makes amends on her terms.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 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 19 Dec. 2025.
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