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Gumbo refers to an aromatic soup of the Creole cuisine of Louisiana, combining African, Indigenous North American, and European elements. It takes its name from the American French word gombo, which in turn is of Bantu origin and related to the Umbundu word ochinggômbo, meaning “okra.” Okra usually plays a starring role in gumbo as a thickener (unless the soup is thickened by filé, powdered young sassafras leaves) alongside the holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper, and any number of additional ingredients, from seafood (shrimp, crab, or oysters) to meat (chicken, sausage, duck, or game) to leafy greens. The variety of ingredients and ways to prepare the dish eventually led to the figurative sense of gumbo referring to a variety, mixture, or mélange of things, as in “a gumbo of ideas.”
Examples of gumbo in a Sentence
Kristy Christiansen, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
On her recent Netflix holiday special, the Duchess of Sussex made her mother's recipe for gumbo, their traditional Christmas Eve meal.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025
The ham is $95 and add-on options include sausage and chicken gumbo, seafood gumbo, red beans and potato salad.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Dec. 2025
Doeuk tried her hand at making gumbo and jambalaya, and received positive feedback.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 6 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Gumbo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gumbo. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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