bongo

1 of 2

noun (1)

bon·​go ˈbäŋ-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce bongo (audio)
ˈbȯŋ-
plural bongos also bongoes
: one of a pair of small connected drums of different sizes and pitches played with the hands
bongoist noun

bongo

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural bongo or bongos
: an African antelope (Tragelaphus eurycerus) that is chestnut red with narrow white vertical stripes and is found in forests from Sierra Leone to Kenya

Examples of bongo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Forest buffalo, blue duikers, sitatungas and even bongos—forest-dwelling antelopes worshipped as spirits by area inhabitants—graze around bais. Zhengyang Wang, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2024 And if all that's not enough for you, dig Jack Lemmon playing bongos as Gillian's hipster warlock brother. Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 25 Sep. 2024 He's been recommended to breed and will eventually be introduced to the female Eastern bongos at the zoo. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2024 On Friday and Saturday nights, Havana Night Bar and Grill lights up with live salsa bands featuring bongos, congas, and karaoke. Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2024 More recently, one of the zoo's female Eastern bongos, Nyota, gave birth to another female on July 7. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2024 Pemberton’s score combines traditional orchestral sounds with vintage synthesizers and a jazz combo for a particular ’60s sound that features Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3 keyboards plus bongos, electric guitars and bass. Jon Burlingame, Variety, 12 July 2024 More than a decade later, there are no bongos or essential oils at L.A.’s latest wave of death cafes and, most noticeably, their attendees skew younger. Jennifer Swann, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024 Now, all three Eastern bongos can be seen by visitors in the African Forest habitat. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 13 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

American Spanish bongó

Noun (2)

probably from Kele (Bantu language of Gabon)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1920, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bongo was in 1861

Dictionary Entries Near bongo

Cite this Entry

“Bongo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bongo. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bongo

noun
bon·​go
ˈbäŋ-gō
plural bongos also bongoes
: either of a pair of small drums of different sizes fitted together and played with the fingers

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