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Vodou

American

[voh-doo] / ˈvoʊ du /

noun

an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced chiefly by Haitians, deriving principally from West African Vodun and containing elements borrowed from the Roman Catholic religion.

Etymology

Origin of Vodou

First recorded in 1880–85; from an Indigenous language spoken in Benin

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.

While spirits infuse believers with energy and hope, Vodou priests warn they don’t perform miracles.

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

It’s unknown how many people currently practice Vodou in Haiti, but there’s a popular saying: “Haiti is 70% Catholic, 30% Protestant and 100% Vodou.”

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

Vodou has since become a key ingredient in Haiti’s rich cultural scene, inspiring music, art, writing and dance.

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

Shunned publicly by politicians and intellectuals for centuries, Vodou is transforming into a more powerful and accepted religion across Haiti, where its believers were once persecuted.

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

Is it because you are a mambo—a Vodou priestess who held ceremonies in the courtyard of a Christian NGO building?

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

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