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

The program includes Spanish classical guitar pieces, Latin American music, original music and the music of The Beatles on traditional classical/flamenco guitars, a baritone guitar, a ukulele and a 19th-century guitar. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026

Two young dancers are bringing the beauty of the historic dance of flamenco to new life in Chicago. —Edie Kasten, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026

Sherry, the briny aperitif that hails from the same region as flamenco, is the obvious choice here; choose from a whopping 400 bottles selected by sherry savant David Ayuso. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026

Though English by birth, she was inexorably drawn to the romantic and was an amateur flamenco dancer. —Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for flamenco

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo