noun
bayou
BEYE-oo
noun
1
A slow-moving, marshy stream or channel, especially in the southern United States.
"Alligators bask along the edges of the bayou."
"The old cabin sat right at the edge of the bayou."
How to Use Bayou
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA slow, swampy waterway typical of the U.S. Gulf Coast, especially Louisiana.
UK vs US
Almost exclusively an American English word, tied to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.
Word Forms
bayous plural, Bayous plural
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Alligators bask along the edges of the _____.
Etymology
From Louisiana French "bayou," borrowed from the Choctaw word "bayuk," meaning a small stream.