bolero

See also: boléro

English

a woman wearing a bolero jacket

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bew-der.?

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.?

Latin bullader.

Spanish bola

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -ārius

Spanish -ero

Spanish bolerobor.

English bolero

Borrowed from Spanish bolero, from bola + -ero. First attested in 1787 (noun). First attested in 1834 (verb).

Pronunciation

• enPR: bō-lâr′ō, bə-; IPA^(key): /bəʊ̯ˈlɛə̯.ɹəʊ̯/, /bə-/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bəʊ̯ˈlɛə̯.ɹəʊ̯/, /bəʊ̯ˈlɛː.ɹəʊ̯/, (older) /bəʊ̯ˈleə̯.ɹəʊ̯/; /bə-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): (without the Mary–marry–merry merger) /boʊ̯ˈleɹ.oʊ̯/, (Mary–marry–merry merger) /boʊ̯ˈlɛɹ.oʊ̯/; /bə-/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /boʊ̯ˈlɛɹ.oʊ̯/; /bə-/
• (Australia) IPA^(key): /bəʉ̯ˈleː.ɹəʉ̯/; /bə-/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): (without the cheer–chair merger) /bɐʉ̯ˈleə̯.ɹɐʉ̯/, (cheer–chair merger) /bɐʉ̯ˈliə̯.ɹɐʉ̯/; /bə-/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /boˈleɾ.o/; /bə-/, /bʌ-/
• Rhymes: -ɛəɹəʊ
• Hyphenation: bo‧le‧ro

Noun

bolero (plural boleros)

1. (dance) A lively Spanish dance in 3/4 time; also an unrelated slower-tempo dance of Cuban origin, in 2/4 time.
   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXII, in Romance and Reality. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 335:

     Edward's attention was at first rivetted on two dancers engaged in their graceful national dance, the bolero. What a blessing to a people is a climate that encourages out-of-door amusement!

2. (fashion) A type of short, buttonless jacket or blouse, open or tied in front and ending at the diaphragm.
   • 2009, Jennifer Worth, Farewell to the East End, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, page 175:

     He took the bolero, which was made of soft angora, and rubbed it up and down his cheek.

   • 2023, Naomi Klein, “Diagonal Lines”, in Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN:

     It must have been a balm to have [Naomi] Wolf come along at the dawn of a new decade and wear the badge as if it were a chic bolero jacket, as was the style back then.

Verb

bolero (third-person singular simple present boleros, present participle boleroing, simple past and past participle boleroed)

1. (intransitive) To dance the bolero.

   Hypernym: dance

Further reading

• “bolero”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• borole

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish bolero. The clothing senses may have been borrowed via French boléro. First attested in 1847.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (garment) /ˈboː.leː.roː/, (hood; dance) /boːˈleː.roː/

• Audio; /boːˈleː.roː/:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oːleːroː, -eːroː
• Hyphenation: bo‧le‧ro

Noun

bolero m (plural bolero's, diminutive bolerootje n)

1. bolero (dance)
2. music accompanying this dance
3. bolero (jacket)
4. a type of Spanish hat

Descendants

• → Indonesian: bolero

Further reading

• Matthias de Vries; Lambert Allard te Winkel (1864), “BOLERO^I”, in Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, published 2001
• Matthias de Vries; Lambert Allard te Winkel (1864), “BOLERO^II”, in Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, published 2001
• “bolero” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]

Finnish

Etymology

From Spanish bolero.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbolero/, [ˈbo̞le̞ro̞]
• Rhymes: -olero
• Syllabification^(key): bo‧le‧ro
• Hyphenation^(key): bo‧le‧ro

Noun

bolero

1. bolero

Declension

Inflection of bolero (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)
nominative		bolero	bolerot
genitive		boleron	bolerojen boleroiden boleroitten
partitive		boleroa	boleroja boleroita
illative		boleroon	boleroihin
		singular	plural
nominative		bolero	bolerot
accusative	nom.	bolero	bolerot
	gen.	boleron
genitive		boleron	bolerojen boleroiden boleroitten
partitive		boleroa	boleroja boleroita
inessive		bolerossa	boleroissa
elative		bolerosta	boleroista
illative		boleroon	boleroihin
adessive		bolerolla	boleroilla
ablative		bolerolta	boleroilta
allative		bolerolle	boleroille
essive		bolerona	boleroina
translative		boleroksi	boleroiksi
abessive		bolerotta	boleroitta
instructive		—	boleroin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of bolero (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative boleroni boleroni accusative nom. boleroni boleroni gen. boleroni genitive boleroni bolerojeni boleroideni boleroitteni partitive boleroani bolerojani boleroitani inessive bolerossani boleroissani elative bolerostani boleroistani illative bolerooni boleroihini adessive bolerollani boleroillani ablative boleroltani boleroiltani allative bolerolleni boleroilleni essive boleronani boleroinani translative bolerokseni boleroikseni abessive bolerottani boleroittani instructive — — comitative — boleroineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative bolerosi bolerosi accusative nom. bolerosi bolerosi gen. bolerosi genitive bolerosi bolerojesi boleroidesi boleroittesi partitive boleroasi bolerojasi boleroitasi inessive bolerossasi boleroissasi elative bolerostasi boleroistasi illative boleroosi boleroihisi adessive bolerollasi boleroillasi ablative boleroltasi boleroiltasi allative bolerollesi boleroillesi essive boleronasi boleroinasi translative boleroksesi boleroiksesi abessive bolerottasi boleroittasi instructive — — comitative — boleroinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative boleromme boleromme accusative nom. boleromme boleromme gen. boleromme genitive boleromme bolerojemme boleroidemme boleroittemme partitive boleroamme bolerojamme boleroitamme inessive bolerossamme boleroissamme elative bolerostamme boleroistamme illative boleroomme boleroihimme adessive bolerollamme boleroillamme ablative boleroltamme boleroiltamme allative bolerollemme boleroillemme essive boleronamme boleroinamme translative boleroksemme boleroiksemme abessive bolerottamme boleroittamme instructive — — comitative — boleroinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative boleronne boleronne accusative nom. boleronne boleronne gen. boleronne genitive boleronne bolerojenne boleroidenne boleroittenne partitive boleroanne bolerojanne boleroitanne inessive bolerossanne boleroissanne elative bolerostanne boleroistanne illative boleroonne boleroihinne adessive bolerollanne boleroillanne ablative boleroltanne boleroiltanne allative bolerollenne boleroillenne essive boleronanne boleroinanne translative boleroksenne boleroiksenne abessive bolerottanne boleroittanne instructive — — comitative — boleroinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative boleronsa boleronsa accusative nom. boleronsa boleronsa gen. boleronsa genitive boleronsa bolerojensa boleroidensa boleroittensa partitive boleroaan boleroansa bolerojaan boleroitaan bolerojansa boleroitansa inessive bolerossaan bolerossansa boleroissaan boleroissansa elative bolerostaan bolerostansa boleroistaan boleroistansa illative boleroonsa boleroihinsa adessive bolerollaan bolerollansa boleroillaan boleroillansa ablative boleroltaan boleroltansa boleroiltaan boleroiltansa allative bolerolleen bolerollensa boleroilleen boleroillensa essive boleronaan boleronansa boleroinaan boleroinansa translative bolerokseen boleroksensa boleroikseen boleroiksensa abessive bolerottaan bolerottansa boleroittaan boleroittansa instructive — — comitative — boleroineen boleroinensa

Further reading

• “bolero”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch bolero.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /boˈlero/ [boˈle.ro]
• Rhymes: -ero
• Syllabification: bo‧le‧ro

Noun

boléro (plural bolero-bolero)

1. bolero (all senses)

Related terms

• bola

Further reading

• “bolero”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bew-der.?

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.?

Latin bullader.

Spanish bola

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -ārius

Spanish -ero

Spanish bolerobor.

Polish bolero

Borrowed from Spanish bolero.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔˈlɛ.rɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrɔ
• Syllabification: bo‧le‧ro

Noun

bolero n (indeclinable)

2. (dance, music) bolero (Spanish folk dance and music)

   Hypernyms: taniec, muzyka

4. (fashion) bolero (a short jacket, generally worn open in front)
   • 2011 April 29, “DRUGA SUKNIA ŚLUBNA Kate Middleton! (ZDJĘCIA)”, in Pudelek.pl‎^[2], quoted in WSJP, archived from the original on 10 May 2021:

     Na ramiona zarzuciła bolero z angory.

     She draped an angora bolero over her shoulders.

5. (fashion) bolero (a hat with upturned brims)

   Hypernym: kapelusz

   • 2010 October 20, Wendy Smith, “40. rocznica śmierci Jimiego Hendriksa i Janis Joplin. Tradycyjni buntownicy”, in Gazeta Wyborcza, quoted in WSJP, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     […] w 1964 r. zjawił się na nowojorskiej scenie z szopą afro na głowie, w damskiej bluzce i kapeluszu bolero […].

     […] in 1964, he appeared on the New York stage with an Afro, wearing a women’s blouse and a bolero hat […].

   • c. 2016 January 26 – 2019 September 16, (Can we date this quote by <katalog.muzeum.krakow.pl> (quoted in WSJP; now <mnk.pl>) and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Kapelusz męski - bolero. Czas powstania: XIX wiek.

     Men’s hat — bolero. Date of origin: 19th century.

Declension

If declined:

Declension of bolero

	singular	plural
nominative	bolero	bolera
genitive	bolera	boler
dative	boleru	bolerom
accusative	bolero	bolera
instrumental	bolerem	bolerami
locative	bolerze	bolerach
vocative	bolero	bolera

Derived terms

nouns

• bolerko

Further reading

• Modern Standard Polish:
  • “bolero”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • “bolero”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)
  • bolero in Narodowy Fotokorpus Języka Polskiego
  • Dubisz, Stanisław, editor (2003), “bolero”, in Uniwersalny słownik języka polskiego [Universal Dictionary of the Polish Language]‎^[5] (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 299
  • Zygmunt Saloni, et al., editors (2020), “bolero”, in Słownik gramatyczny języka polskiego [Grammatical Dictionary of Polish]‎^[6], 4. online edition, Warszawa
• Middle Polish:
  • Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century], (Can we date this quote?)
• Historic dictionaries:
  • Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “bolero”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861, volume I, page 98
  • J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “bolero”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 188
  • Witold Doroszewski, editor (1958–1969), “bolero”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), Warszawa: PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bew-der.?

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.?

Latin bullader.

Spanish bola

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -ārius

Spanish -ero

Spanish bolerobor.

French bolérobor.

Romanian bolero

Borrowed from French boléro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bo.leˈro/

• Rhymes: -o
• Hyphenation: bo‧le‧ro

Noun

bolero n (plural bolerouri)

1. bolero

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	bolero	boleroul	bolerouri	bolerourile
genitive-dative	bolero	boleroului	bolerouri	bolerourilor
vocative	boleroule		bolerourilor

Further reading

• “bolero”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bew-der.?

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.?

Latin bullader.

Spanish bola

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -ārius

Spanish -ero

Spanish bolero

From bola + -ero.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /boˈleɾo/ [boˈle.ɾo]
• Rhymes: -eɾo
• Syllabification: bo‧le‧ro

Noun

bolero m (plural boleros)

1. bolero (music)
2. bolero (dance)
3. bolero (jacket)

Descendants

• → Dutch: bolero
• → English: bolero
• → Finnish: bolero
• → French: boléro

Noun

bolero m (plural boleros, feminine bolera, feminine plural boleras)

1. bolero musician

Further reading

• “bolero”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tagalog

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /boˈleɾo/ [boˈlɛː.ɾo]
• Rhymes: -eɾo
• Syllabification: bo‧le‧ro

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Tagalog bola

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -ārius

Spanish -erobor.

Tagalog -ero

Tagalog bolero

From bola + -ero.

Noun

bolero (feminine bolera, Baybayin spelling ᜊᜓᜎᜒᜇᜓ)

1. (colloquial) flatterer

   Synonym: mambobola

   • 1988, Lualhati Bautista, Dekada '70: ang orihinal at kimpletong edisyon:

     "Dad, ang serious, isa ospital dinadala." Natawa 'ko. Napikon nang ... hindi ka naging presidente?" Gano'n liga si Jason: masayahin, bolero, mapanukso, pero kaibig-ibig na bata. Mahirap kang magalit sa kanya dahil mabilis siya sa yakap at  ...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1989, National Mid-week:

     Nakapaloob sa baranggay ang isa pang malaking istasyon ng radyo at telebisyon, mga talyer, mga imprenta, otel, motel, laboratoryo ng pelikula, pakulutan, ... Puwes, pinangakuan sila ng mga bolero ng lupa. ... Kung kandidato kang taga-iskuwater, huwag kang aastang pulubi; umasta kang siga at may pinag-aralan.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1990, Maksim Gorky, Lusak:

     Isa kang magaling na bolero, Lolo. Ang ganda mong magsinungaling! Magandang pakinggan ang iyong mga pantasya. Sige, magsinungaling ka pa. Ayos din 'yon. Wala namang maraming magagandang bagay na mapapak- inggan sa ...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2005, Galileo S. Zafra, Romulo P. Baquiran, Sawikaan 2004: mga salita ng taon, →ISBN:

     Kailangarg mag- update kayo ng nangyayari sa buhay ng isa't isa. ... Kapag mahilig kang makipagkuwentuhan, tsikador o tsikadora ang tawag sa iyo. Puwedeng ... Pinaa.Tsinika. Dito rin lilitaw ang kahulugan ng pagiging bolero ng isang ...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bew-der.?

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.?

Latin bullader.

Spanish bola

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -ārius

Spanish -ero

Spanish bolerobor.

Tagalog bolero

Borrowed from Spanish bolero.

Noun

bolero (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜓᜎᜒᜇᜓ)

1. bolero (dance)
2. bolero (music)
3. bolero (jacket)

Further reading

• “bolero”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018