mambo

noun mam·bo \ ˈmäm-(ˌ)bō \

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Examples: mambo in a Sentence

Definition of mambo

plural mambos

: a ballroom dance of Cuban origin that resembles the rumba and the cha-cha; also : the music for this dance

—

mambo

intransitive verb

See mambo defined for English-language learners

See mambo defined for kids

Examples of mambo in a Sentence

They learned to dance the mambo.
The band played a mambo.

Recent Examples of mambo from the Web

These Havana natives perform fluent, easy mambo and son cubano that transports listeners to not just another place, but another time.

— New York Times, "13 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 5 July 2018
In the Caribbean, drums were also used in religious rituals, which evolved into dance rhythms, like the Cuban son, mambo, chachacha and danzón.

— deborah ramírez, miamiherald, "Eddie Palmieri brings his 'Wisdom' to Miami's Olympia Theater | Miami Herald," 24 May 2018
Zoomba at the Zoo is a 90-minute dance/aerobic workout class, featuring salsa, merengue, mambo and hip-hop.

— rianne coale, RedEye Chicago, "5 things to do in Chicago this weekend," 18 May 2017
Yemen Blues Ravid Kahalani's Yemen Blues brings a polyglot mix of music from Yemen and West Africa, with inspirations of contemporary grooves, from funk to mambo, and the deep soul of old chants.

— laura demarco, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Museum of art announces 2018 Solstice performers, ticket info," 2 May 2018
See it: The Ball & Chain hosts shows, from salsa to jazz to mambo, from noon until late into the night.

— hannah hayes, Southern Living, "The South's Best Musical Landmarks," 26 Feb. 2018
One, Orkesta Mendoza, is a Tuscon, Ariz., act that turned from a tribute to Cuban mambo legend Pérez Prado into a fuller-time gig.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Top Milwaukee concerts this week: Brockhampton, Bon Iver, Stone Sour, Valerie June and more," 15 Feb. 2018
Un Tabaco Para Elegua’ The vocalist Pepito Gómez has a siren sound that reaches right back into the 1940s, when the punchy pop music known as mambo overtook Cuba.

— jon pareles, New York Times, "The Playlist: Janelle Monáe Feels the Funk, and 13 More New Songs," 23 Feb. 2018
Skating first to a lively mix of mambo, samba and cha cha, and then to Coldplay, the pair known as the ShibSibs easily shouldered the responsibility of anchoring the U.S. squad, leading it to a bronze medal.

— Time, "Maia and Alex Shibutani Are Everyone's Favorite Skating Siblings. Here's How They Got to the Olympics," 19 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mambo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mambo

American Spanish

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1946

in the meaning defined above

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MAMBO Defined for English Language Learners

mambo

noun

Definition of mambo for English Language Learners

: a lively dance originally from Cuba
: the music for the mambo

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Spanish Central: Translation of mambo

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