creole

1 of 2

adjective

cre·​ole ˈkrē-ˌōl How to pronounce creole (audio)
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 How to pronounce Creole (audio)
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
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
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 The black American culture emerged as a creole culture, drawing upon common African tendencies, but also English speaking and Christian, two traits derived from the society into which they were thrown. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2011 Lou Lou Food & Drink, a creole restaurant in St. Matthews, is taking over Decca's space for a second location. The Courier-Journal, 24 Oct. 2022 Seeing the island through their eyes offers a singular view into the creole Gullah language, traditional foods, music, and more. Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2022 Specializing in the Louisiana creole cuisine that incorporates French, West African, Caribbean and other influences, Borel already has a name in the culinary scene, operating as a private chef and caterer since 2020. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2022 The beach town of Bluefields is the gateway to the charming Corn Islands and Pearl Keys, full of luscious creole cuisine, crystal blue lagoons and stunning white sand beaches. Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2022 Enjoy the creole flavors infused into the steamy plates of crab, lobster, crawfish, and veggies. Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 28 Feb. 2022 Inside, guests in colorful outfits and bedazzled masks enjoyed creole-style cuisine while browsing displays from local artists and crafters. Lauren Wethington, Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2022
Noun
The island is, however, transformed into a vibrant festival of music, food, and celebrations during Creole Heritage Month, culminating with the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) every October. Melissa Noel, Essence, 28 Nov. 2023 It is often used in Louisiana Creole cuisine, and can help to thicken gumbo, especially in varieties made without okra. Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023 Active Time: 10 mins Bake Time: 20 mins Cool Time: 5 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 10 Made with flaky puff pastry, these ham and cheese pastries with Creole mustard taste like the product of a classic French bakery. Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023 In a city synonymous with Creole and Cajun cuisine, Italian food too often gets left out of the conversation. Cameron Quincy Todd, Saveur, 15 Nov. 2023 This is our version of a classic Creole dish, Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons, long a Thanksgiving standby in South Louisiana. Nancie McDermott, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2023 The first night features a private dinner party at the home of Lagniappe Baking owner Kaitlin Guerin to enjoy her mom’s traditional Creole cooking and her own desserts. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2023 Polling in Creole, however, allowed the survey to capture the experiences of a population in which fluent English speakers are rare. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023 Linguists say Patois, which is also called Patwa, Creole or, simply, Jamaican, is about as different from English as English is from German. Simon Romero Alejandro Cegarra, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creole.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of creole was in 1697

Dictionary Entries Near creole

Cite this Entry

“Creole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creole. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

creole

1 of 2 adjective
cre·​ole ˈkrē-ˌōl How to pronounce creole (audio)
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 How to pronounce Creole (audio)
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 blacks 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

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