griot

play

noun gri·ot \ ˈgrē-ˌō \

Definition of griot

:any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies; broadly :storyteller

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Recent Examples of griot from the Web

The griot—marinated, stewed, and fried—crackles with flavor before the chunks of pork gently melt.

— naomi tomky, Vogue, "For a Real Taste of Montreal, Go Beyond Poutine," 24 Aug. 2017
There are farmers, too, and twirling griots and dancing, stick-wielding women.

— david lyman, Cincinnati.com, "A day at the museum: Hypnotic and mesmerizing," 18 Aug. 2017
A result was DanceAfrica, over which Mr. Davis, in flowing robes, presided each year like a traditional West African griot.

— margalit fox, New York Times, "Chuck Davis, Who Brought African Dance Traditions to America, Dies at 80," 15 May 2017
Lewis is a dismal institution’s griot, a historical actor and hero capable of telling the most complex and painful of American stories—the story of race.

— david remnick, The New Yorker, "John Lewis, Donald Trump, and the Meaning of Legitimacy," 15 Jan. 2017

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

Did You Know?

An African tribal storyteller and musician is called a griot. The griot’s role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the tribe. They were usually among the oldest men in a tribe. In places where written language is the privilege of the few, the place of the griot as cultural guardian is still maintained. In Senegal, for example, the griot—without resorting to fantasy—recites poems or tells stories of warriors, drawing on his own sources of inspiration.