taarab

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noun

A genre of music popular in Tanzania and Kenya, influenced by the music of cultures with a historical presence in East Africa.

OriginSwahili taarab ← Arabic طَرَب (ṭarab) →
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Meanings

nountaarab (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA genre of music popular in Tanzania and Kenya, influenced by the music of cultures with a historical presence in East Africa.

Origin

  1. Arabicطَرَب (ṭarab)
  2. Swahilitaarab
  3. Englishtaarab

Borrowed from Swahili taarab, borrowed from Arabic طَرَب (ṭarab, “entertainment with music”).

More words from Swahili

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

TarabaAtbarabaraat
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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