View synonyms for

bayou

[ bahy-oo, bahy-oh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Chiefly Lower Mississippi Valley and Gulf States.

plural bayous.

a marshy arm, inlet, or outlet of a lake, river, etc., usually sluggish or stagnant.
any of various other often boggy and slow-moving or still bodies of water.

bayou

/ ˈ��ɪ��ː /

noun

(in the southern US) a sluggish marshy tributary of a lake or river

bayou

A sluggish, marshy stream connected with a river, lake, or gulf. Bayous are common in the southern United States.

bayou

Term used mainly in Louisiana and Mississippi to describe a swampy, slowly moving or stationary body of water that was once part of a lake, river, or gulf.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of bayou¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1710–20; from Louisiana French bayou, bayouc, bayouque, likely from obsolete Choctaw bayuk “creek, river” (modern Choctaw bok ); compare Chickasaw bok

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Word History and Origins

Origin of bayou¹

C18: from Louisiana French, from Choctaw bayuk

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Riders journey through the bayou in search of the perfect band to perform before plunging down the attraction’s signature 50-foot drop.

From

Drawing on West African spiritual traditions, “The Brothers Size” relates the mythic story of two bayou country Louisiana brothers in conflict that is as tender as it is fierce.

From

Tiana’s takes an even lighter touch to theme park narrative design, as the story push is simply going on a journey in search of bayou musicians.

From

He’s got a thick Cajun accent like he’s straight outta the bayou.

From

The system of bayous and reservoirs was built to drain heavy rains, but the engineering initially designed nearly 100 years ago has struggled to keep up with the city’s growth and bigger storms.

From

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