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Definition of po'boy

po'boy

Plural:po'boys
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• noun

1

American A traditional submarine sandwich from Louisiana, consisting of meat (usually roast beef) or fried seafood (such as shrimp, oysters, or catfish) served on New Orleans French bread with a crisp crust and fluffy center.

Example

"During their visit to the French Quarter, they stopped at a local corner store for a fried shrimp po'boy dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for po'boy

• Nearby Words

pneumohydrothorax
pneumonia
po
po'boy
poach
poached egg plant
poacher

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in New Orleans, Louisiana, representing a phonetic spelling of 'poor boy'. According to local history, the sandwich was named during the 1929 streetcar workers' strike when brothers Bennie and Clovis Martin served free sandwiches to the striking union members, whom they referred to as 'poor boys'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Po'boy. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/po'boy
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