creole

adjective cre·ole \ ˈkrē-ˌōl \

|Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of creole

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

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

shrimp creole

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Recent Examples of creole from the Web

What: Flavour Restaurant & Lounge serves a mix of Caribbean, Southern and creole cuisine.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "New Highlands spot serves Caribbean and creole in Asiatique's absence," 9 May 2018
Rodriguez says: The creole sauce gave it a little kick, a good comfort food kind of burger.

— cleveland.com, "Smokin' Thyme Burger: Build the burger you want (photos, video, poll)," 24 Apr. 2018
Patrons can join top bartenders for a New Orleans-themed afternoon with specialty cocktails, creole bites and brass bands. 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Lion Fish Coastal Cuisine launches all new al fresco dining," 19 Apr. 2018
For the creole sauce: To make the brown roux, melt the butter and whisk in the flour.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "He never gets tired of the Hot Brown, but chef at The Brown Hotel is always looking ahead," 20 Mar. 2018
Their confections—which shimmer with iridescent icing—are sweetened with raw cane sugar and filled with creole cream cheese ($24).

— ann mah, Bon Appetit, "Where to Mail-Order King Cakes for Mardi Gras," 13 Feb. 2018
Spice things up with creole seasoning, celery seed, Old Bay, cayenne, and more.

— jenné claiborne, SELF, "6 Genius Cooking Tricks From a Vegan Soul Food Chef," 14 Feb. 2018
Black Box Fix's menu offers made-to-order sandwiches with a bit of creole flavors.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Black Box Fix opening in Legacy Village," 12 Dec. 2017
Fries that accompany the sandwiches come with choices of plain, garlic parmesan, Cajun, creole butter and lemon pepper, Rogers said in a release.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Black Box Fix opening in Legacy Village," 12 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'creole.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of creole

1737

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym

Creole

noun Cre·ole \ ˈkrē-ˌōl \

Definition of Creole

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 blacks in southern Louisiana

b : haitian

c not capitalized : a language that has evolved from a pidgin but serves as the native language of a speech community

See Creole defined for English-language learners

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Examples of creole in a Sentence

Some people in Louisiana speak Creole.

Origin and Etymology of creole

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1697

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

CREOLE Defined for English Language Learners

creole

adjective

Definition of creole for English Language Learners

: relating to people who are Creoles or to their language

Creole

noun

Definition of Creole for English Language Learners

: a person who has African and French or Spanish ancestors; especially : such a person who lives in the West Indies
: a person whose ancestors were some of the first people from France or Spain to live in the southeastern U.S.
: a language that is based on French and that uses words from African languages