Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for Vodou.

Vodou

American  
[voh-doo] / ˈvoʊ du /

noun

  1. an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced chiefly by Haitians, deriving principally from West African Vodun and containing elements borrowed from the Roman Catholic religion.


Etymology

Origin of Vodou

First recorded in 1880–85; from an Indigenous language spoken in Benin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Vodou began to take shape in the French colony of Saint-Domingue during funeral rituals for enslaved people and dances called “calendas” that they organized on Sunday evenings.

From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024

Credited with that turnaround are thinkers like Jean Price-Mars, whose 1928 book, “Thus Spoke the Uncle,” visualized Vodou as a religion, “without making the Haitian elites blush,” wrote sociologist Lewis Ampidu Clorméus.

From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024

Vodou has since become a key ingredient in Haiti’s rich cultural scene, inspiring music, art, writing and dance.

From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024

During Vodou ceremonies, lwa are offered treats ranging from papayas and coffee to popcorn, lollipops and cheese puffs.

From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024

Is it because you are a mambo—a Vodou priestess who held ceremonies in the courtyard of a Christian NGO building?

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com