bayou

[ bahy-oo, bahy-oh ]

/ ˈbaɪ u, ˈbaɪ oʊ /

Save This Word!

See 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.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bayou

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

Words nearby bayou

Bay of Pigs, bay oil, bayonet, bayonet socket, Bayonne, bayou, bay poplar, Bay Psalm Book, Bayreuth, bay rum, bay salt

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bayou in a sentence

Johnson says that on any given day, he’ll see photographers, anglers or university students on the platform, taking in a view of the bayou.
In a New Orleans ward ravaged by climate change, leaders nurture the next generation|Dayana Sarkisova|August 4, 2022|Washington Post
CSED also works to bring trees from a local Christmas tree drop program to the bayou.
In a New Orleans ward ravaged by climate change, leaders nurture the next generation|Dayana Sarkisova|August 4, 2022|Washington Post
That means vast, important marsh, inshore pools, and bayous have disappeared as flooding, high winds, and towering tidal surges have left their marks.
Hurricanes have cost Louisiana fisheries at least half a billion dollars since 2020|Bob McNally/Outdoor Life|January 21, 2022|Popular-Science
Just across the bayou, however, is a house almost guaranteed to please.
Houston for Tourists? If You Think That’s a Joke, the Joke’s on You|William O’Connor|July 30, 2021|The Daily Beast

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
Houston has plans for a series of bayou-oriented green ways.
Houston Rising—Why the Next Great American Cities Aren’t What You Think|Joel Kotkin|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Issa Bayou smiles and shakes his head as he recalls how he escaped from a Tripoli prison during the uprising in Libya.
One Year Later, Libya’s Long Road Continues|Jamie Dettmer|October 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
They were located on a lake, which communicates with the branch of Red-river passing Bayou Pierre.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
Next instant the placid water of the bayou was beaten into showers of spray, which gleamed silver in the brilliant moonlight.
Motor Matt's Daring, or, True to His Friends|Stanley R. Matthews
He remembered my reasoning in the boat coming down the bayou.
The Fire People|Ray Cummings
Hiding the boat in another bayou, we took our way home on foot.
The Fire People|Ray Cummings
Professor Newland, Beth and I went up the bayou with them that morning they left.
The Fire People|Ray Cummings

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

Scientific 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.

Cultural 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

Origin of bayou

Words nearby bayou

Words related to bayou

How to use bayou in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bayou

Word Origin for bayou

Scientific definitions for bayou

Cultural definitions for bayou