gumbo

1 of 2

noun (1)

gum·​bo ˈgəm-(ˌ)bō 

plural gumbos

1

: a soup thickened with okra pods or filé and containing meat or seafoods and usually vegetables

2

: okra sense 1

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

: mixture, mélange

gumbo adjective

gumbo

2 of 2

noun (2)

variants or Gumbo

: creole sense 4a(1)

Synonyms of gumbo

Noun (1)

• medley
• variety
• jumble
• assortment
• collage
• jambalaya
• stew
• salad

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

Noun

The city’s dishes are deeply tied to its historic roots, blending Cajun, Creole and Southern influences to create savory cuisine like gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice and po’ boy sandwiches. —Dontaira Terrell, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025

Save them to make a rich and flavorful stock for soup or gumbo. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025

Ideas include pot roast, gumbo, and dump cake. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025

The menu includes a chicken and waffle combo, shrimp and grits, gumbo, oxtails with sweet brown gravy, and other traditional soul food dishes. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 7 Oct. 2025

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)

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1838, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gumbo

• gumbo-limbo

Rhymes for gumbo

• jumbo
• columbo

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