Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A very short jacket worn open in the front.
  • noun A lively Spanish dance in triple meter.
  • noun The music for this dance.
  • noun A slow Latin American dance in triple meter.
  • noun The music for this dance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A Spanish dance in ¾ time, accompanied by the voice and castanets, intended to represent the course of love from extreme shyness to extreme passion.
  • noun A musical composition for such a dance.
  • noun A short jacket, ending about three inches above the waist-line: originally in imitation of the Spanish jacket, but now-made in many fashions, and trimmed either simply or with extremely elaborate ornament.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mus.) A Spanish dance, or the lively music which accompanies it.
  • noun A kind of small outer jacket, with or without sleeves, worn by women.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a lively Spanish dance
  • noun a type of short, buttonless jacket or blouse, open or tied in front and ending at the diaphragm

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun music written in the rhythm of the bolero dance
  • noun a short jacket; worn mostly by women
  • noun a Spanish dance in triple time accompanied by guitar and castanets

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Spanish, from bola, ball; see bola.]

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Examples

  • "It's a kind of bolero jacket with beads all over it," Ms. McCord told the Daily Transom about the jacket that she bought at an estate sale about a decade ago.

    For Sale: Chloe Sevigny's Refrigerator, Kelly Killoren Bensimon's Sneakers, Chuck Schumer's Tie 2009

  • Erin--Did you notice how many of those daily hints from Paris feature a "bolero"?

    Airship Hostesses - A Dress A Day 2008

  • "It's a kind of bolero jacket with beads all over it," Ms. McCord told the Daily Transom about the jacket that she bought at an estate sale about a decade ago.

    Home | The New York Observer 2009

  • "It's a kind of bolero jacket with beads all over it," Ms. McCord told the Daily Transom about the jacket that she bought at an estate sale about a decade ago.

    Home | The New York Observer 2009

  • While I've never actually heard the Spanish style of romantic ballad called a "bolero", that's the word that comes to mind when I hear this song, which is chock full of triplets played on the acoustic guitar, giving it an exotic, slow-dance sort of feel.

    Epinions Recent Content for Home 2009

  • "It's a kind of bolero jacket with beads all over it," Ms. McCord told the Daily Transom about the jacket that she bought at an estate sale about a decade ago.

    The New York Observer - 2009

  • She updates Caesar Portillo De la Luz s famous bolero Tu, Mi Delirio, with a kind of quiet storm vibe.

    HW Pick: Magos Herrera, Luna Menguante Barluna « 2010

  • It was unflattering, stark white, and short in length with a high-collared bolero jacket.

    My Fair Wedding David Tutera 2011

  • Through the wide variety of historical photographs, paintings and statuary included, we see correspondences of silhouette, construction, color and embellishment that teach us how to "read" a design—the way, for instance, the ornate embroidery of a matador's bolero brings drama to an evening gown, or how voluminous gathers of fabric, thrillingly elegant in a sleeve or skirt, are actually a translation from the festive dress of Spanish laborers.

    Fashion's Eternal Flame Laura Jacobs 2011

  • Choose a jacket cropped at the waist, such as a fur "chubby"—a fluffy, short jacket—bolero, cashmere wrap or stole.

    The Right Length for a Winter Coat Teri Agins 2011

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