tango

1 of 3

noun

tan·​go ˈtaŋ-(ˌ)gō 

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

tango

2 of 3

verb

tangoed; tangoing; tangos

intransitive verb

: to dance the tango

Tango

3 of 3

communications code word

—used as a code word for the letter t

Examples of tango in a Sentence

Noun

The band played a tango.

Verb

He's trying to learn how to tango.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For longtime pal Derek Hough, who is returning to season 34 in his post as a judge, the decision to un-retire wasn't at all a surprise — particularly after the two danced a tango together in season 33. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025

According to Nomasei, the pump was five whole years in the making, informed by its co-founder Paule Tenaillon’s expertise in designing tango heels. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025

Verb

Natalia teaches him how to tango. —Ilya Kaminsky august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025

Real sharks dance with shark handlers, with legitimate danger The loose competition features five contestants, all professional shark wranglers, grooving to tunes underwater with whichever swimming predator wants to tango. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

American Spanish

First Known Use

Noun

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1913, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tango

• mango
• chenango
• shenango

Kids Definition

tango

noun

tan·​go

ˈtaŋ-gō

plural tangos

: a ballroom dance of Latin-American origin to music in ²⁄₄ time and marked by pauses between steps and a variety of body postures

also : the music for a tango

tango verb