Related Searches
Nearby Words

bongo

 [bong-goh, bawng-]   Origin

bon·go

1   [bong-goh, bawng-]
noun, plural -gos, (especially collectively) -go.
a reddish-brown antelope, Taurotragus eurycerus, of the forests of tropical Africa, having white stripes and large, spirally twisted horns.
Origin:
1860–65; probably < a Bantu language; compare Lingala mongu an antelope

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Bongo is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Dictionary.com Unabridged

bon·go

2   [bong-goh, bawng-]
noun, plural -gos, -goes.
one of a pair of small tuned drums, played by beating with the fingers.
Also called bongo drum.

Origin:
1915–20, Americanism; < American Spanish bongó

Related forms
bon·go·ist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To bongo
Collins
World English Dictionary
bongo1 (ˈbɒŋɡəʊ)
 
—n , pl -go, -gos
a rare spiral-horned antelope, Boocercus (or Taurotragus) eurycerus, inhabiting forests of central Africa. The coat is bright red-brown with narrow cream stripes
 
[of African origin]

bongo2 (ˈbɒŋɡəʊ)
 
—n , pl -gos, -goes
a small bucket-shaped drum, usually one of a pair, played by beating with the fingers
 
[American Spanish, probably of imitative origin]

Bongo (ˈbɒŋɡəʊ)
 
—n
Omar. original name Albert Bernard Bongo. born 1935, Gabonese statesman; president of Gabon from 1967

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bongo
1920, from Amer.Sp. (West Indies, esp. Cuban), from a word of W. African origin, cf. Lokele (Zaire) boungu.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Image for bongo
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT
How many words do you know? FIND OUT