bongo
bongo Lexical Profile
bongo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Either of a pair of connected, small, open-bottomed drums of Afro-Cuban origin that are typically held between the knees and played with the fingers and palms.
"The percussionist kept a steady, driving rhythm on the bongos while the acoustic guitar played the melody."
A large, forest-dwelling antelope native to the dense jungles of Central and West Africa, characterized by a reddish-brown coat with narrow white vertical stripes and slightly spiraled horns.
"During the conservation tour in Kenya, the guide pointed out a rare bongo camouflaged among the thick forest undergrowth."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the musical instrument, the word is almost exclusively used in the plural form ('bongos').
• Rhymes for bongo
Word Origin & Etymology
The word has two distinct origins. As a drum, it derives from American Spanish via Afro-Cuban, likely tracing back to Bantu roots. As an antelope, it entered English in the late 19th century from Mbamba, a Bantu language of West Africa.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.