Meanings
nounmacumba (plural macumbas)
plural macumbas
- lifestyleA type of Afro-Brazilian folk religion combining elements of Roman Catholicism with traditional African religious beliefs and practices; or a specific cult or ceremony of such religion.First known use 20th c.
And later on at the Gantóis macumba, Omolu, bedecked in red, had said that the day of vengeance for the poor would not be long in coming.
1988, Jorge Amado, translated by Gregory Rabassa, Captains of the Sands, Penguin, published 2013, page 79
Origin
- Kimbundumakôba
- Portuguesemacumba
- Englishmacumba
Borrowed from Portuguese macumba (“macumba; curse”), derived from Kimbundu makôba (or a related Bantu language of western Central Africa).
More words from Portuguese, Kimbundu
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
macumba. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macumba
MLA
“macumba.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macumba. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “macumba,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macumba.
Source: macumba on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.