creole

1 of 2

adjective

cre·​ole ˈkrē-ˌōl 

1

or Creole : of or relating to Creoles or their language

2

or Creole : relating to or being highly seasoned food typically prepared with rice, okra, tomatoes, and peppers

shrimp creole

Creole

2 of 2

noun

Cre·​ole ˈkrē-ˌōl 

1

: a person of European descent born especially in the West Indies or Spanish America

2

: a white person descended from early French or Spanish settlers of the U.S. Gulf states and preserving their speech and culture

3

: a person of mixed French or Spanish and Black descent speaking a dialect of French or Spanish

4

a

: a language evolved from pidginized French that is spoken by Black people in southern Louisiana

b

: haitian

c

creole : a language that has evolved from a pidgin but serves as the native language of a speech community

Examples of creole in a Sentence

Noun

Some people in Louisiana speak Creole.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In Boston, the entrees include creole pasta, oxtails and grits, lobster mac and cheese and other delights. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2024

Add the garlic and butter to a large bowl with the milk, eggs, cheddar cheese soup, pepper and creole seasoning. —Dallas News, 15 Mar. 2022

Noun

Get the Recipe 24 of 25 Chicken And Sausage Jambalaya A big batch of this comforting Creole classic comes together in about an hour to make a delicious dinner with leftovers that heat up like a dream the next day. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2024

Strange Delight is the latest in a small crew of excellent Cajun and Creole joints that have opened in the city in recent years, among them tiny Lowerline, in Prospect Heights; Filé Gumbo Bar, in Tribeca; and the clever Korean-Cajun hybrid Kjun, in Murray Hill. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French créole, from Spanish criollo, from Portuguese crioulo white person born in the colonies

First Known Use

Adjective

1737, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing creole

• Haitian Creole

Kids Definition

creole

1 of 2 adjective

cre·​ole ˈkrē-ˌōl 

1

often capitalized : of or relating to the Creoles or their language

2

often capitalized : relating to or being the traditional spicy food of the Creoles

Creole

2 of 2 noun

Cre·​ole ˈkrē-ˌōl 

1

: a white person descended from early French or Spanish settlers in the U.S. Gulf states

2

: a person of mixed French or Spanish and Black descent speaking a dialect of French or Spanish

3

a

: a language evolved from a pidgin based on French that is spoken by Black people in southern Louisiana

b

not capitalized : a language that has evolved from a pidgin and serves as the native language of a group of people