noun, plural sam·bas.
- a rhythmic, Brazilian ballroom dance of African origin.
verb (used without object), sam·baed, sam·ba·ing.
- to dance the samba.
noun plural -bas
- a lively modern ballroom dance from Brazil in bouncy duple time
- a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
verb -bas, -baing or -baed
- (intr) to perform such a dance
n.Brazilian dance of African origin, 1885, Zemba, from Portuguese samba, shortened form of zambacueca, a type of dance, probably altered (by influence of zamacueco “stupid”) from zambapalo, the name of a grotesque dance, itself an alteration of zampapalo “stupid man,” from zamparse “to bump, crash.” As a verb from 1949.