mayo

¹ American

[mey-oh] / ˈmeɪ oʊ /

noun

Informal.

mayonnaise.

Mayo ² American

[mey-oh] / ˈmeɪ oʊ /

noun

Charles Horace, 1865–1939, and his brother William James, 1861–1939, U.S. surgeons.
a county in NW Connaught province, in the NW Republic of Ireland. 2,084 sq. mi. (5,400 sq. km). Castlebar.

Mayo ¹ British

/ ˈmeɪəʊ /

noun

a county of NW Republic of Ireland, in NW Connacht province, on the Atlantic: has many offshore islands and several large lakes. County town: Castlebar. Pop: 117 446 (2002). Area: 5397 sq km (2084 sq miles)

"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

Mayo ² British

/ ˈmeɪəʊ /

noun

a family of US medical practitioners. They pioneered group practice and established (1903) the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Foremost among them were William Worrall Mayo (1819–1911), his sons William James Mayo (1861–1939) and Charles Horace Mayo (1865–1939), and Charles's son, Charles William Mayo (1898–1968)

"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

Usage

What else does mayo mean? Typically, mayo is short for mayonnaise, a classic condiment made of oil, vinegar, and egg yolks. When not, it can also be used as offensive language against white people or a slang term for drugs. Content warning: the following article deals with content related to illicit drugs and offensive and disparaging language.

Etymology

Origin of mayo

By shortening; cf. -o

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.

It has a gloss to it, a kind of quiet sheen that standard mayo simply does not.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

The miso mayo is great as a marinade for steak or chicken thighs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Its menu includes flavor profiles such as Thai chicken, carne asada and a California Club — a pizza with ingredients you would normally find in a sandwich, including avocado, bacon, mayo and lettuce.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Some say it’s all good, clean fun — notwithstanding the mayo mess — and a way to bring notice to the games themselves.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

Gen exclaims, a gob of mayo on her bottom lip.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023