bayou

[ bahy-oo, bahy-oh ]

/ ˈbaɪ u, ˈbaɪ oʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bayou ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural bay·ous. Chiefly Lower Mississippi Valley and Gulf States.

a marshy arm, inlet, or outlet of a lake, river, etc., usually sluggish or stagnant.

any of various other often boggy and slow-moving or still bodies of water.

Nearby words

Origin of bayou

1710–20, Americanism; < Louisiana French, said to be < Choctaw bayuk river forming part of a delta

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bayou

But Hillstomp is the real deal, as legit as anything you will find nowadays down on the bayou.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At a rally for longshot Senate candidate on the bayou, Sarah Palin got choked up on Thursday.
Sarah Palin Moved to Tears in Louisiana|David Freedlander|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All the moves, that is, except managing his state properly—at least according to Bayou voters.
Is Jindal the Least Popular Guv?|David Freedlander, Brandy Zadrozny|February 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, Bayou, Israel's hedge-fund group, continued to flounder and the deception only grew.
This Week’s Hot Reads: July 2, 2012|Mythili Rao|July 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The darling of the festival circuit just arrived in theaters—and the Bayou drama seems destined for Academy Award glory.
Could Summer Indie ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ Nab Oscar?|Chris Lee|June 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
My vessel being refitted, I decided to load her with the famous mammoth tridaena shell of Keeling, found in the bayou near by.
Sailing Alone Around The World|Joshua Slocum
Reaching the bayou side they began a noiseless search for the dugout, which they quickly found, and Carrington turned to George.
The Prodigal Judge|Vaughan Kester
Directly opposite our quarters, on the other side of the bayou, was situated the plantation of Mr. Marshall.
Twelve Years a Slave|Solomon Northup
He followed the bayou until he reached the lake, and then he plunged into the water again, and swam across to the other shore.
The Boy Trapper|Harry Castlemon
The house had floated out of a bayou, I found, which was the reason we did not see it sooner.
Up the River|Oliver Optic

British Dictionary definitions for bayou

bayou

/ (ˈbaɪjuː) /

noun

(in the southern US) a sluggish marshy tributary of a lake or river

Word Origin for bayou

C18: from Louisiana French, from Choctaw bayuk

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bayou

bayou

1766, via Louisiana French, from Choctaw bayuk "small stream."

Science definitions for bayou

bayou

[ bī′ōō ]

A sluggish, marshy stream connected with a river, lake, or gulf. Bayous are common in the southern United States.

Culture definitions for bayou

bayou

[ (beye-ooh, beye-oh) ]

Term used mainly in Louisiana and Mississippi to describe a swampy, slowly moving or stationary body of water that was once part of a lake, river, or gulf.

bayou

noun, plural bay·ous. Chiefly Lower Mississippi Valley and Gulf States.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of bayou

Examples from the Web for bayou

bayou

noun

Word Origin for bayou

bayou

bayou

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