ska

noun

ˈskä 

: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines elements of traditional Caribbean rhythms and jazz

Examples of ska in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Mexican ska rock band Panteón Rococó joined the list of Latin acts performing on NPR’s iconic Tiny Desk on Thursday to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. — Natalia Cano, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

An impromptu panel of thousands of judges online watched more than 120 music videos over six rounds of head-to-head musical battles, spanning genres from death metal to ska mexicano. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026

These anti-fascist singalongs slot into a more playful and irreverent tradition, one more in line with the snotty pop-punk and ska bands who railed against GOP war-mongering in the early 2000s. — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026

Just like the band’s original recipe of shoving punk, dub reggae, hip-hop and ska into a blender, the new songs dutifully stick to the formula along with Jakob’s soulful caterwauls that sound scarily similar to his dad. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of scat entry 3

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ska

noun

ˈskä 

: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines elements of traditional Caribbean rhythms and jazz

Etymology

perhaps an alteration of scat "jazz singing with meaningless syllables"