in U.S. history
: a dance that was accompanied by complex rhythmic hand clapping and slapping of the knees and thighs and that was performed on plantations in the southern U.S. by enslaved Black people
also
: the style of rhythmic accompaniment used for this dance
Examples of juba in a Sentence
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One unintended upshot of banning drums was the development of body percussion: juba, hambone, tap dance, stepping.
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Brian Seibert, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2020
Clapping and thigh slapping recall juba dancing, and a circle dance suggests the rudimentary moves of the Afro-Brazilian martial arts form capoeira.
—Karen Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2018
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Brian Seibert, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2020
Clapping and thigh slapping recall juba dancing, and a circle dance suggests the rudimentary moves of the Afro-Brazilian martial arts form capoeira.
—Karen Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2018
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Cite this Entry
“Juba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juba. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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