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• Afro
  Afro

  noun

  a hairstyle originating with Black people, in which naturally curly or frizzy hair is cut into a full, bushy shape all over the head.
• Afro-
  Afro-

  a combining form of Africa.

Afro

¹ American  

[af-roh] / ˈæf roʊ /

noun

• Afros
  plural

1. a hairstyle originating with Black people, in which naturally curly or frizzy hair is cut into a full, bushy shape all over the head.

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adjective

1. of or relating to African Americans or to Black traditions, culture, etc..

   Afro societies.

Afro- ² American  

1. a combining form of Africa.

   Afro-American; Afro-Asiatic.

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Afro ¹ British  

/ ˈæfrəʊ /

noun

1. a hairstyle in which the hair is shaped into a wide frizzy bush

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Afro- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating Africa or African

   Afro-Asiatic

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Afros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Afro¹

First recorded in 1965–70; independent use of Afro-

Origin of Afro-²

< Latin Āfr- (stem of Āfer an African) + -o-

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Afro Afro- Afros

It was also great for Johnson Products: Sales of Afro Sheen soared.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

It was because Roy Ayers — the bearded man with an Afro on the album cover — was my biological father.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

"All of my music is based on love," Teddy Afro told the BBC in 2017.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

The troupe, which features Afro Latino talent and dance elements, is bringing its robust program to L.A. this week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

Rondell turned his big Afro head my way and grinned, said: “’Cause this whole time we was sittin’ there, Mexico, next to them seals, I been thinkin’ ’bout that.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Kings, clergy, and scholars helped to preserve the classical past and maintain diplomatic and economic ties across western Afro- Eurasia.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

Such was the world of the Mediterranean basin and Afro- Eurasia in the middle of the fourteenth century when the bubonic plague ravaged central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

The unrest began in the north London suburb of Tottenham on Aug. 6, after a local man of Afro- Caribbean origin, Mark Duggan, was killed in a shootout with police.

From BusinessWeek ● Aug. 9, 2011

"There is a mood of Afro- pessimism," says Serageldin.

From Time Magazine Archive

I knew that he was particularly well-informed on the Afro- American’s plight, as for years he had lived and studied in America.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

That meant little to us as teens wearing big ties and platform shoes, listening to rock and roll while even white guys sported Afros and we all began dancing to disco.

From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2025

Bows, meticulously handmade flowers and shiny buttons adorn wigs shaped into opulent Afros, coiled curls and braided up-dos.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2023

It was a time of Black Power, Afros and dashikis, yet I was welcomed graciously.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 21, 2022

From Afros and cornrows to wigs and hair extensions, Black hair can be more than just style statements.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 29, 2022

Actually, the folk with the Afros and dreads are the ones who haven’t “done” anything to their hair.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie