flamenco
noun
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
Christopher Bagley, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2025
Like a scene of ‘flamenco in a meadow’, this Pasque flower grows in the German Bliesgau of Saarland.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
And while the midday sunlight still shone brightly, indoor flamenco classes continued, as people practiced in the light streaming in from the windows.
—Jonathan Wolfe, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
The largest flamenco festival outside Spain takes place here from June 20 to 28.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flamenco
Cite this Entry
“Flamenco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flamenco. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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