- a rhythmic and syncopated Cuban dance in duple time
- a ballroom dance derived from this
- a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
rum•ba /ˈrʌmbə, ˈrʊm-, ˈrum-/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -bas /-bəz/USA pronunciation v., -baed /-bəd/USA pronunciation
-ba•ing /-bəɪŋ/.USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n. [countable]
- Music and Dancea ballroom dance that is Cuban in origin, notable for its complex rhythm and swaying hip motion.
v. [no object]
- Music and Danceto dance the rumba.
rum•ba
(rum′bə, rŏŏm′-, ro̅o̅m′-),USA pronunciation n., pl. -bas (-bəz),USA pronunciation v., -baed
(-bəd),USA pronunciation -ba•ing (-bə ing).USA pronunciation
n.
v.i.
n.
- Music and Dancea dance, Cuban in origin and complex in rhythm.
- Music and Dancean imitation or adaptation of this dance in the U.S.
- Music and Dancemusic for this dance or in its rhythm.
v.i.
- Music and Danceto dance the rumba.
- American Spanish
- 1920–25
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rumba, rhumba /ˈrʌmbə; ˈrʊm-/ n
'rumba' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):