bossa nova
- adjective
- /ˈbɔsə ˈnoʊvə/
:
bossa nova
- The singer performed a bossa nova version of the classic song at the festival.
Examples
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They decorated the lounge with a bossa nova theme for the summer party.
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Her new album features several bossa nova tracks inspired by Brazilian rhythms.
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I love bossa nova!
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The bossa nova rhythms are incredibly soothing.
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The song has a bossa nova rhythm that makes you want to dance smoothly.
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She played a bossa nova tune on her guitar, transporting everyone to the beaches of Brazil.
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His music collection includes several classic albums featuring bossa nova melodies.
How Smooth
Surface Forms
Morphology
bossa + nova
This is a lexicalized loan from Portuguese referring to a specific music genre; the given constituents have no English dictionary senses here ('bossa' is opaque to English learners, and 'nova' as 'new' does not by itself indicate a musical style). Because the genre meaning is conventional and not predictably composed from the parts for a B1 learner, the expression is opaque.
Etymology
Bossa nova comes from Portuguese where bossa meant 'skill' or 'style' and nova meant 'new'. Musicians used it for a fresh, smooth way of playing samba, so we call a song or sound 'bossa nova' when it feels relaxed and jazzy.