gumbo

1 of 2

noun (1)

gum·​bo ˈgəm-(ˌ)bō How to pronounce gumbo (audio)
plural gumbos
1
: a soup thickened with okra pods or filé and containing meat or seafoods and usually vegetables
2
3
a
: any of various fine-grained silty soils especially of the central U.S. that when wet become impervious and soapy or waxy and very sticky
b
: a heavy sticky mud
4
gumbo adjective

gumbo

2 of 2

noun (2)

variants or Gumbo

Examples of gumbo in a Sentence

Noun (1) drew his artistic inspiration from the city's rich gumbo of musical styles
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
And like any good gumbo, the tradition simmers with far-reaching flavors that unite in New Orleans. Harriet Shepherd, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025 The sampling menu after the show was catered by J’s Breakfast Club on Broadway in Gary and included everything from the simple fufu, a root dough used to sop up a stew, to seafood gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice, among the dishes. Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025 The gumbo, with crab, shrimp, hot and smoked sausage is my favorite. Mitti Hicks, Essence, 16 Apr. 2025 In the video, Williams, who welcomed her daughter with husband Alexis Ohanian, 41, in September 2017, was showing her daughter how to cook gumbo. Kayla Grant, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gumbo

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

American French gombo, of Bantu origin; akin to Umbundu ochinggômbo okra

Noun (2)

American French gombo, perhaps from Kongo nkômbô runaway slave

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gumbo was in 1805

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gumbo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gumbo. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

gumbo

noun
gum·​bo
ˈgəm-bō
plural gumbos
1
a
: okra
b
: a soup thickened with okra pods
2
: any of various silty soils that become very sticky when wet

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