boubou

noun

bou·​bou ˈbü-ˌbü How to pronounce boubou (audio)
: a long flowing garment worn in parts of Africa

Examples of boubou in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
His body was wrapped in a white boubou, and a turban hid his entire face, except for a pair of large, dark sunglasses. Steven Levingston, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2022 Wiley stood beneath Black Rock’s 20-foot wooden doors in a green and gold boubou, greeting guests such as Alicia Keys and Naomi Campbell. Annika Hammerschlag, Quartz Africa, 4 June 2019 Wearing his usual white boubou, Diack, 52, settled into a corner table overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Tariq Panja, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

French, from Malinke bubu

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boubou was in 1961

Dictionary Entries Near boubou

Cite this Entry

“Boubou.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boubou. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!