noun
bongo
BONG-goh
noun
1
One of a pair of small hand drums, played by beating with the fingers and palms.
"He tapped out a rhythm on his bongos at the beach."
2
A large striped antelope native to African forests.
"The bongo is one of the largest forest antelopes in the world."
How to Use Bongo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually refers to the small paired drums played with the hands; less commonly, a striped African antelope.
Word Forms
bongoed past tense, bongos plural, bongos plural, bongoes plural, bongos singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “bongo”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He tapped out a rhythm on his _____ at the beach.
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish bongo, referring to the Afro-Cuban hand drum.