habanera

[ hah-buh-nair-uh or, often, -nyair-uh ]

/ ˌhɑ bəˈnɛər ə or, often, -ˈnyɛər ə /

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noun

a dance of Cuban origin.

the music for this dance, having a slow duple meter and a rhythm similar to that of a tango.

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Origin of habanera

1875–80; <Spanish (danza) habanera (dance) of Havana

Words nearby habanera

Haas, Hab., Hába, Habakkuk, Habana, habanera, habanero, habeas corpus, habenula, Haber, haberdasher

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use habanera in a sentence

The Habanera went very well by being transposed half a tone higher; but the card-playing scene was another matter.
Memoirs of an American Prima Donna|Clara Louise Kellogg
The Tango is in 2-4, played in moderately slow tempo; its rhythm is also adapted for the Habanera.
The Art of Stage Dancing|Ned Wayburn
Alvarado dances the Habanera with the dancing-girl Chiquita.
The Complete Opera Book|Gustav Kobb
The lady sang with great spirit, and her rendering of la Paloma and of the Habanera from Carmen was simply perfect.
Cuba Past and Present|Richard Davey

He was wakeful and that wretched Habanera kept throbbing in his head.
Five Tales|John Galsworthy

British Dictionary definitions for habanera

habanera

/ (ˌhæbəˈnɛərə) /

noun

a slow Cuban dance in duple time

a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance

Word Origin for habanera

from Spanish danza habanera dance from Havana

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012