GUMBO
What does "GUMBO" mean?
A thick, hearty Louisiana stew of meat or shellfish, vegetables, and a dark roux, served over rice.
Meanings
- A rich stew characteristic of Louisiana Creole and Cajun cooking, thickened with roux, okra, or filé powder. She let the gumbo simmer all afternoon until the roux turned the color of chocolate.
- The okra plant or its edible pods, the original sense from which the dish takes its name. The recipe calls for a pound of fresh gumbo sliced thin. archaic
- A heavy, sticky clay soil that becomes slick when wet. After the rain the dirt road turned to gumbo and the truck bogged down. informal
Did you know?
- In 2004 Louisiana made gumbo its official state cuisine, one of the few U.S. states to legislate a signature dish into law.
Word origin
From a West African (Bantu) word for okra, such as Kimbundu 'ki-ngombo'; the term traveled through Louisiana French to name first the vegetable, then the stew thickened with it.
Remember it
GUMBO has okra's gum (its slippery thickening goo) right at the start: G-U-M.
A little poem
Roux gone dark as river mud,
okra weeping its slow thread-
the whole bayou in one bowl.
tercet
Wordplay
- I asked the chef what was in the gumbo. He said, 'A little of everything that didn't make it out of the kitchen.'
What it teaches
The best things, like a good roux, are built slowly and burn the moment you stop paying attention.
Quick facts
What does GUMBO mean?
A thick, hearty Louisiana stew of meat or shellfish, vegetables, and a dark roux, served over rice.
Is GUMBO a valid word?
Yes — GUMBO is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is GUMBO?
GUMBO has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does GUMBO come from?
From a West African (Bantu) word for okra, such as Kimbundu 'ki-ngombo'; the term traveled through Louisiana French to name first the vegetable, then the stew thickened with it.
What can GUMBO teach us?
The best things, like a good roux, are built slowly and burn the moment you stop paying attention.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.