: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines elements of traditional Caribbean rhythms and jazz

Examples of ska in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Disco happened, punk happened, reggae showed up in the U.S. again and stayed a long time, inspiring a burgeoning ska scene, and glam and metal bands made decent music and grand fashion statements. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2025 Synth-pop, R&B, grunge, ska: music to listen to on your Walkman — and on the soundtracks of iconic ’90s movies. Joe Reid, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025 Few bands are qualified to represent the LBC quite like Sublime, the legendary punk and ska outfit who’s original members trace their lineage to the very first Warped Tour in 1995. Dave Brooks, Billboard, 25 June 2025 Thompson’s tenor sax stepped up to the forefront, honking and grooving through this first-tier ska classic, which was originally written and recorded by legendary Jamaican artist Prince Buster in the ’60s and then propelled to a whole new generation of listeners by the Madness cover from 1979. Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ska

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of scat entry 3

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ska was in 1963

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Cite this Entry

“Ska.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ska. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

ska

noun
: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines elements of traditional Caribbean rhythms and jazz
Etymology

perhaps an alteration of scat "jazz singing with meaningless syllables"

More from Merriam-Webster on ska

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