noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

salsa

SAL-suh

Salsa (noun) means a spicy sauce, usually tomato-based, often used as a dip or topping in Mexican cooking. Example: “We scooped up the salsa with tortilla chips before dinner.”

noun

A spicy sauce, usually tomato-based, often used as a dip or topping in Mexican cooking.

"We scooped up the salsa with tortilla chips before dinner."

A lively style of Latin dance music, or the dance performed to it.

"They took salsa lessons every Tuesday night at the community centre."

How to use salsa

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a spicy dip or a Latin dance style, depending on context.

Common pairings

salsa dancing salsa music tomato salsa mild salsa

Word forms

salsaed past tense, salsas plural, salsas singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

We scooped up the _____ with tortilla chips before dinner.

Etymology

From Spanish salsa, "sauce," from Latin salsus, "salted."

Origin: Latin

Frequently asked questions

What does “salsa” mean?

The word “salsa” means a spicy sauce, usually tomato-based, often used as a dip or topping in Mexican cooking. In plain terms, either a spicy dip or a Latin dance style, depending on context.

How do you pronounce “salsa”?

“Salsa” is pronounced SAL-suh (/ˈsɑl.sə/ in IPA).

How do you use “salsa” in a sentence?

Here is “salsa” used in a sentence: “We scooped up the salsa with tortilla chips before dinner.”

What part of speech is “salsa”?

“Salsa” is a noun.

Where does the word “salsa” come from?

The word “salsa” comes from Latin. From Spanish salsa, "sauce," from Latin salsus, "salted.".

Is “salsa” a common word?

“Salsa” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “salsa” have?

“Salsa” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a spicy sauce, usually tomato-based, often used as a dip or topping in Mexican cooking.