salsa

noun

sal·​sa ˈsȯl-sə How to pronounce salsa (audio)
ˈsäl-
1
: a usually spicy sauce of chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers that is commonly served with Mexican food
also : a similar sauce made with a main ingredient other than tomatoes
peach salsa
2
: popular music of Latin American origin that has absorbed characteristics of rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock

Examples of salsa in a Sentence

The band was playing salsa. We're taking classes in salsa.
Recent Examples on the Web The venue also diversified from its salsa roots, giving the actor Jamie Foxx’s R&B band a long-standing residency, and booking early gigs from Ed Sheeran and Avicii. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024 Chicken Empanadas Handmade empanadas with chicken, fried and served with salsa roja and Tostitos chips. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024 Frozen sweet potato, bottle salsa, and canned beans are easy shortcuts that boost the flavor of this egg recipe for breakfast. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 Celebrating samba — the dance, not the condiment — the 14th annual festival offers a weekend of world-class performances, dancing, competition and workshops with top salsa instructors. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 The innovative song combines catchy salsa melodies with immersive urban rhythms to tell a cautionary story about the consequences of letting pride interfere with love. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 With more than 100 years of history, this snug bar opens up to a grand outdoor patio where live music and salsa dancing are the norm. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2024 The restaurant’s salsa night became so popular that the Mythos group hooked up with longtime area promoters and club owners the Presley brothers in 1999. Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2024 The most popular chicken al pastor entrée in 2023 was a burrito bowl with white rice, black beans, tomato salsa, roasted corn salsa, cheese and guacamole. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salsa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, sauce, from Latin, feminine of salsus salted — more at sauce

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of salsa was circa 1962

Dictionary Entries Near salsa

Cite this Entry

“Salsa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salsa. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

salsa

noun
sal·​sa ˈsȯl-sə How to pronounce salsa (audio)
ˈsäl-
1
: a spicy sauce of tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers
2
: popular Latin American music with elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock

More from Merriam-Webster on salsa

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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