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• bongo
  bongo

  noun

  a reddish-brown antelope, Taurotragus eurycerus, of the forests of tropical Africa, having white stripes and large, spirally twisted horns.
• Bongo
  Bongo

  noun

  Omar . original name Albert Bernard Bongo . 1935–2009, Gabonese statesman; president of Gabon (1967–2009)

bongo

¹ American  

[bong-goh, bawng-] / ˈbɒŋ goʊ, ˈbɔŋ- /

noun

• bongos,
  plural
• bongo
  plural

1. a reddish-brown antelope, Taurotragus eurycerus, of the forests of tropical Africa, having white stripes and large, spirally twisted horns.

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bongo ² American  

[bong-goh, bawng-] / ˈbɒŋ goʊ, ˈbɔŋ- /

noun

• bongos,
  plural
• bongoes
  plural

1. one of a pair of small tuned drums, played by beating with the fingers.

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Bongo ¹ British  

/ ˈbɒŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. Omar . original name Albert Bernard Bongo . 1935–2009, Gabonese statesman; president of Gabon (1967–2009)

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bongo ² British  

/ ˈbɒŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a rare spiral-horned antelope, Boocercus (or Taurotragus ) eurycerus , inhabiting forests of central Africa. The coat is bright red-brown with narrow cream stripes

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bongo ³ British  

/ ˈbɒŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a small bucket-shaped drum, usually one of a pair, played by beating with the fingers

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bongoist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bongo
  plural
• bongoes
  plural
• bongos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bongo¹

1860–65; probably < a Bantu language; compare Lingala mongu an antelope

Origin of bongo²

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20; from Latin American Spanish (Puerto Rico) bongó

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bongo Bongo bongos

The song boasts Grupo Frontera’s traditional norteño sound, with the addition of their signature bongo of course.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025

Woburn Safari Park described the eastern mountain bongo calf's birth as hugely important for global conservation.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2024

Kenya’s benga and Tanzania’s bongo flava reverberate across dance floors in East Africa, just as fuji and high life do in West Africa.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2024

In snippets from the Season 2 trailer, we see Misty dressed in purple, banging on a bongo alongside a bunch of Lottie's followers.

From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2023

Ivette leaned back on the bed, her body moving in rhythm with the song’s mix of bongo drums and the distinct hollow sound of the claved.

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez

After an unexpected coup three years ago in neighbouring Gabon, which toppled the Bongo dynasty sending shockwaves across the continent, Cameroon immediately reshuffled its military leadership.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Gupta arrived in Gabon in 2008, aged 33 and with no French, to head the local subsidiary of Singaporean agrifood giant Olam, where he built close ties with the then president, Ali Bongo.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

"Our Sunday vinyl sessions put a big focus on Teesside's music scene from the Rock Garden to the Bongo Club. We hope to do these again."

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026

He had succeeded his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled with an iron fist for nearly 42 years until his death in 2009.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025

With a loud exhale, Bongo flew to the ground.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate

Settles-Bey sways to the rhythm of the bongos on a recent Sunday in the park -- but nerves are still frayed.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

Four mountain bongos, a rare type of antelope native to Kenya's highland forests, have arrived in Kenya after being sent from a zoo in the Czech Republic.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

More than a decade later, there are no bongos or essential oils at L.A.’s latest wave of death cafes and, most noticeably, their attendees skew younger.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2024

The music seemed to levitate with the centrifugal force of rampaging bongos.

From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2023

Feynman sat on the hood of a jeep, playing bongos as people danced in the dirt streets.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin