Oreo

or o·re·o

[awr-ee-oh, ohr-]

noun, plural O·re·os. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

a black person who is regarded as having adopted the attitudes, values, and behavior thought to be characteristic of middle-class white society, often at the expense of his or her own heritage.

Origin of Oreo

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; from trademark name of a chocolate cookie with a white cream filling

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

Examples from the Web for oreo

Contemporary Examples of oreo

But the Oreo cookies in the photograph were actually sent by Operation Oreo, a project of Alpharetta Methodist Church in Georgia.
Exclusive: ‘Pro-Troop’ Charity Pays Off Tea Party Cronies Instead
Kim Barker
August 5, 2014
Elsewhere in the song, Kelly compares himself to the cookie monster and cleverly sings “I love to lick the middle like an Oreo.”
R. Kelly’s Craziest Lyrics From ‘Black Panties,’ Analyzed
Chancellor Agard
December 3, 2013
A surprising new entry on the 2009 list in this category is Oreo, a sweet black-and-white choice.
Top 20 Dog Names of the Future
Linda Rosenkrantz
February 14, 2010
There is also a trend toward ‘O’-ending names, such as Leo, Romeo, Rocco, Oreo, Gizmo and Milo.
Top 20 Dog Names of the Future
Linda Rosenkrantz
February 14, 2010

Historical Examples of oreo

We are to make all possible speed, to Oreo, their governing city.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1931
Various
When leaving Ulietea, Oreo's last request was for me to return.
The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam
Oreo must have been aware of the plot, for he more than once asked Captain Cook why he did not go and bathe as usual.
Captain Cook
W.H.G. Kingston
Oreo, on his part, quickly aroused himself, and sent off canoes to Bolabola and elsewhere to find the fugitives.
Captain Cook
W.H.G. Kingston
Oreo and several chiefs took a passage on board the English ships to Bolabola, which was reached the day after they left Ulietea.
Captain Cook
W.H.G. Kingston

Word Origin and History for oreo

Oreo

derogatory word for "black person felt to have a 'white' mentality," 1968, black American English, from the snack cookies, which consist of dark chocolate wafers and white sugar cream filling (hence "brown outside, white inside"). The cookies (made by Nabisco) date from 1912; the source of the name has been forgotten.