vuvuzela

American  

[voo-voo-zel-uh] / ˌvu vuˈzɛl ə /

noun

1. South African. a long, plastic horn that makes a loud, monotone sound, typically blown by South African fans at soccer matches.

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vuvuzela British  

/ ˌvuːvuːˈzɛlə /

noun

1. an elongated plastic instrument that football fans blow to make a loud noise similar to the trumpeting of an elephant

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Etymology

Origin of vuvuzela

Probably from Zulu vuvu

Example Sentences

The capital, its suburbs and multiple other cities erupted with vuvuzela horns, honking, fireworks and celebratory dancing as hundreds of thousands of fans took to the streets.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

Uefa prohibited the use of some devices following the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that was dominated by use of the vuvuzela from the stands.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2024

Come for the glib self-owns, the vuvuzela as punctuation, the hotel suite toga parties.

From New York Times • Dec. 21, 2020

Ten years ago: Over the din of vuvuzela horns in Johannesburg, South Africa, Spain won soccer’s World Cup after an exhausting 1-0 victory in extra time over the Netherlands.

From Washington Times • Jul. 11, 2020

He then let out a loud honk on a plastic green and yellow vuvuzela, the horn made famous in the South African games in 2010.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2018