gum·bo / ˈgəmbō/ • n. (pl. -bos) 1. okra, esp. the gelatinous pods used in cooking. ∎  (in Cajun cooking) a spicy chicken or seafood soup thickened typically with okra or rice.2. (Gumbo) a French-based patois spoken by some blacks and Creoles in Louisiana.3. a fine, clayey soil that becomes sticky and impervious when wet.4. a type of Cajun music consisting of a lively blend of styles and sounds: New Orleans syncopated gumbo.

gumbo American (Creole); soup or stew made from okra, onions, celery, and pepper, flavoured with filé powder (powdered dried sassafras leaves), and containing chicken, meat, fish, or shellfish. Also a name for okra.

gumbo (U.S.) okra plant or pods; soup thickened with the pods; (geol.) local clay or mud. XIX. Of Negro (Afr.) orig.