boubou

noun

bou·​bou ˈbü-ˌbü How to pronounce boubou (audio)
: a long flowing garment worn in parts of Africa

Examples of boubou in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His body was wrapped in a white boubou, and a turban hid his entire face, except for a pair of large, dark sunglasses. Steven Levingston, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2022 Wiley stood beneath Black Rock’s 20-foot wooden doors in a green and gold boubou, greeting guests such as Alicia Keys and Naomi Campbell. Annika Hammerschlag, Quartz Africa, 4 June 2019 Wearing his usual white boubou, Diack, 52, settled into a corner table overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Tariq Panja, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boubou.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Malinke bubu

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boubou was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near boubou

Cite this Entry

“Boubou.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boubou. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

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