zydeco

American

[zahy-di-koh] / ˈzaɪ dɪˌkoʊ /

noun

a blues-influenced type of Cajun dance music popular in Louisiana and Texas, and usually played on accordion, guitar, and violin.

zydeco British

/ ˈzaɪdəˌkəʊ /

noun

a type of Black Cajun music

"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

Etymology

Origin of zydeco

1955–60, said to represent Louisiana French les haricots in the dance-tune title Les haricots sont pas salés

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.

“This zydeco band ... can play!” says the gator, adding an excitedly drawn-out “hallelujah” for emphasis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2024

In it she blends marital strife, Louisiana’s zydeco, a phantom named Becky and more in a sonic and visual gumbo fans didn’t realize they were starving for.

From Washington Post • Feb. 6, 2023

A new score for the ride has also been written in the New Orleans zydeco style, which Disney emphasized as a key part of the new theme.

From Washington Times • Dec. 3, 2022

On “Mahine Me,” played acoustically on Ali’s 1992 LP “The Source,” the zydeco accordionist Ruben Moreno sits in for a buoyant interpretation of a Songhai proverb.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2022

Music came from the bars, zydeco and high-tide blues.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

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