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Definition of ska

ska

/skɑː/
ska
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ska Lexical Profile

ska Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A fast-paced genre of popular music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, combining elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues, characterized by a walking bass line and accented rhythms on the offbeat, which served as a precursor to rocksteady and reggae.

Example

"The band's energetic horn section and upbeat guitar rhythms showed a strong influence from traditional Jamaican ska."

• Rhymes for ska

• Nearby Words

sizzler
sizzling
sizzlingly
ska
skagit
skakavitsa
skaklia

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in Jamaica in the late 1950s, likely as an onomatopoeic imitation of the scratchy, offbeat staccato sound produced by the rhythm guitar in the genre.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ska. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ska
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