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
Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Kay wraps her voice around propulsive rock arrangements on one, while another leans into flamenco pop.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
The program includes Spanish classical guitar pieces, Latin American music, original music and the music of The Beatles on traditional classical/flamenco guitars, a baritone guitar, a ukulele and a 19th-century guitar.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Two young dancers are bringing the beauty of the historic dance of flamenco to new life in Chicago.
—Edie Kasten, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flamenco
Cite this Entry
“Flamenco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flamenco. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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