merengue

 
Pronunciation: /məˈrɛŋgeɪ/
(also meringue)

noun

[mass noun]
  • a Caribbean style of dance music, typically in duple and triple time: sounds of Latin music, mostly salsa and merengue, came in from the streets [as modifier]: there was a merengue band to keep the beat hot
  • a style of dancing associated with merengue, with alternating long and short stiff-legged steps.

Origin:

late 19th century: probably American Spanish; compare with the sense 'upheaval, disorder', attested in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay