candombe

C3A1N1D2O1M3B3E1

noun

A musical style of Uruguay originating from African slaves.

Scrabble 15

Meanings

nouncandombe (countable and uncountable, plural candombes)

plural candombes

  1. countableuncountableentertainmentA musical style of Uruguay originating from African slaves.

    The 10 song-and-dance numbers include candombe rhythms, with African roots, but the music is mostly murga, Uruguayan carnival sounds.

    1999 August 1, Alvin Klein, “Cheating Death, Uruguayan Style”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
    1 more example

    "Candombe is the only original folkloric music in Uruguay, and it is a product of the black community," said Julio Olivera, an artist and head of the Association for the Development of Afro-Uruguayan Art and Culture.

    1993 May 7, Nathaniel C. Nash, quoting Julio Olivera, “Uruguay Is on Notice: Blacks Want Recognition”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
  2. countableuncountabledanceThe dance to this music.
  3. countableuncountableentertainmentA type of drum used to accompany this music.

    Together, we watched locals and tourists practice their dance moves in the center, a converted warehouse whose walls were lined with candombe drums carved with images of slave ship hulls filled with chained human cargo.

    2014 September 12, Michael T. Luongo, “Argentina Rediscovers Its African Roots”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

Origin

  1. Rioplatense Spanishcandombe
  2. Englishcandombe

From Rioplatense Spanish candombe.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

candombe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candombe

MLA

“candombe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candombe. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “candombe,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/candombe.

Source: candombe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.