tango

noun tan·go \ ˈtaŋ-(ˌ)gō \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of tango

plural tangos

1 : a ballroom dance of Latin American origin in ²/₄ time with a basic pattern of step-step-step-step-close and characterized by long pauses and stylized body positions; also : the music for this dance

2 : interaction marked by a lack of straightforwardness

the suspect's tango with police

See tango defined for English-language learners

See tango defined for kids

Examples of tango in a Sentence

The band played a tango.

Recent Examples of tango from the Web

Late in May, the gibbous moon and Jupiter dance a tango as our lunar object approaches the giant planet May 26 and gets close May 27.

— blaine p. friedlander jr., Washington Post, "The sun shines brightly on a ‘full’ Jupiter in May," 28 Apr. 2018
There were the rhythms of tango and bolero and cumbia.

— a.d. amorosi, Philly.com, "Juanes is a massive rock star in Latin America. Now, he's coming to Philadelphia," 23 Apr. 2018
Project Maven is not Google’s first tango with the military.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Google Reportedly Drafts 'Ethical Principles' After Employee Fury Over Defense Department Projects," 13 Apr. 2018
After, Young tangos with a clip lamp suspended at belly height.

— lauren warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "'Poor People’s TV Room' mixes Boko Haram history with Oprah — and is a tough, tough piece to unpack," 13 Apr. 2018
European immigrants made their way to the city in the late 19th and early 20th century and settled in places like La Boca — a colorful barrio that is home to many of the city’s tango clubs.

— kristin braswell, ELLE Decor, "Just In: Buenos Aires Is The New Paris," 19 Mar. 2018
Just then, the DJ introduces a tango record, and the clave finally catches its breath.

— adam hurly, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Weekend in Cali, Colombia's Salsa Capital," 3 Jan. 2018
Options include Spanish and Argentine tango or salsa lessons in Buenos Aires; salsa or flamenco in Barcelona or on Costa de la Luz in Spain; and flamenco dance lessons, with Spanish, in Granada or Seville in Spain.

— diane daniel, chicagotribune.com, "Active itineraries: More vacation packages combine travel and fitness," 23 Mar. 2018
The intimacy displayed in tango dance is a defining characteristic of Argentinian culture.

— kristin braswell, ELLE Decor, "Just In: Buenos Aires Is The New Paris," 19 Mar. 2018

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