gumbo
noun
a stew or thick soup, usually made with chicken or seafood, greens, and okra or sometimes filé as a thickener.
gumbo
1 American
[guhm-boh]
/ ˈgʌm boʊ /
Gumbo
2
American
[guhm-boh]
/ ˈgʌm boʊ /
noun
(sometimes lowercase)
gumbo
1
British
/ ˈɡʌmbəʊ /
noun
-
the mucilaginous pods of okra
-
another name for okra
-
a soup or stew thickened with okra pods
-
a fine soil in the W prairies that becomes muddy when wet
Gumbo
2
British
/ ˈɡʌmbəʊ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gumbo1
1795–1805, < Louisiana French gombo, gumbo < a Bantu language; compare Umbundu ochinggombo, Luba chinggombo okra
Origin of Gumbo2
First recorded in 1835–40; probably from the same source as gumbo ( def. )
Explanation
Gumbo is a Louisiana Creole stew that's thick and spicy, usually containing shellfish and sausage and served over rice. When you're visiting New Orleans, you should definitely try some gumbo. One of gumbo's traditional thickeners is the vegetable called okra, which is sometimes also called gumbo, from the Angolan word kingombo. The ingredients of an authentic gumbo can vary a lot, though it almost always starts with celery, onions, and peppers and flavorful stock. From there, it needs a thickener (either a roux or cooked okra), spices, and meat or shellfish. Gumbo is the official food of the state of Louisiana.
Vocabulary lists containing gumbo
The Melting Pot: Food Words from Other Languages
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World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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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:
Kingfish even recorded much of his latest album, “Hard Road,” a tasty gumbo of blues, rock, funk and soul, in his home and other area studios.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
On a recent morning, Nones took photos for a cookbook, shooting portraits of residents who submitted recipes for Romanian stuffed cabbage and gumbo, coaching them from his chair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
Her family’s version of gumbo starts with chicken thighs, which are seasoned with paprika, cayenne, oregano and salt.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2025
Dan's winning smoked fish dish, another of Manny's mgnificent moles, Savannah's chawanmushi, Danny's carrot-centric chowder, Amanda's "brilliant" vegan gumbo and Laura's tartare all sounded great.
From Salon ● May 15, 2024
You wanted to dissect the animals quickly, before the spontaneous liquefaction began, because you can’t dissect gumbo.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
By Friday morning, the park as Gumbo knew it was no more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2024
“We are getting into a match with both legs tied,” said CCC lawyer Agency Gumbo.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 9, 2023
Born from the marriage of West African stew and French bouillabaisse, Gumbo has not only been around for hundreds of years, but its countless variations shine a light on every family's heritage.
From Salon ● May 18, 2023
A co-owner, she gets credit for the look of the space, the former Gumbo Ya Ya.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 18, 2022
Gumbo slapped his heavy tail on the ground, and Greno did a backflip on Papa's shoulder.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Mr. McCree’s gumbos, including Tiny’s gumbo based on his grandfather’s style, are cooked to order in kettles behind a counter with a long row of tables opposite.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2022
“No two gumbos are alike, and that goes for others who make gumbo, as well.”
From Washington Post ● Jan. 9, 2021
With her mother coordinating food drops, Williams received curries, gumbos and self-packaged olive oil for meals, along with baked goods her mom routinely included.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 11, 2020
And because of that, our gatherings are generally joyous gumbos of movie quotes and good-natured insults.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2020
After he realised the scale of the problem, he founded the National Institute of Crayfish Trappers, and became Crayfish Bob, selling gumbos and crawfish boil.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 31, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
