Rumba

//ˈɹʊmbə// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A slow-paced Cuban partner dance in 4:4 time.

    "The music of Cuba has had a worldwide influence on forms of song and dance. René Buch who conceived and directed a musical “collage” called “¡Habana!” at the Repertorio Español on East 27th Street, points out the influence on Spain, for example, which received ‘habaneras’ and ‘contradanzas’ from Cuba; in this century, in the 1920's, the “rumba” and such songs as “El Manisero” and “Siboney” made their way north to become part of United States culture."

  2. 2
    a ballroom dance based on the Cuban folk dance wordnet
  3. 3
    a folk dance in duple time that originated in Cuba with Spanish and African elements; features complex footwork and violent movement wordnet
  4. 4
    syncopated music in duple time for dancing the rumba wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To dance the rumba.
  2. 2
    dance the rhumba wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
dancehustlejigrhumbarhumbarhumba

Example

More examples

"Do you know how to dance the rumba?"

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumba.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.