octoroon

noun

oc·to·roon | \ ˌäk-tə-ˈrün

How to pronounce octoroon (audio)

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Definition of octoroon

dated, now offensive

: a person of one-eighth black ancestry

Examples of octoroon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As Zoe, the titular octoroon and object of plantation heir George Peyton's affection, Ariel Richardson gives an affecting performance filled with striking silhouette-like poses and raw recitations of prose. — Dan Jakes, Chicago Reader, "Definition Theatre’s An Octoroon boldly subverts, in white-, red-, and blackface," 2 Aug. 2017

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

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Time Traveler for octoroon

The first known use of octoroon was in 1859

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