a person born in the West Indies or Spanish America but of European, usually Spanish, ancestry.
a person born in Louisiana but of usually French ancestry.
(sometimes lowercase) a person of mixed Black and European, especially French or Spanish, ancestry who speaks a creolized form of French or Spanish.
(usually lowercase) a creolized language; a pidgin that has become the native language of a speech community.Compare pidgin.
the creolized French language of the descendants of the original settlers of Louisiana.Compare Cajun.
Haitian Creole.
(usually lowercase)Archaic. a Black person born in the New World, as distinguished from one brought there from Africa.
adjective
(sometimes lowercase) of, relating to, or characteristic of a Creole or Creoles.
(usually lowercase)Cooking. indicating a spicy sauce or dish made especially with tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, and seasonings, and often served with rice.
(sometimes lowercase) bred or growing in a country, but of foreign origin, as an animal or plant.
Origin of Creole
First recorded in 1595–1605; from French, from Spanish criollo, from Portuguese crioulo “native,” derivative of criar “to bring up,” from Latin creāre; see create
The priest for the Creole ceremony was Father Marcel Saint Jean.
Mother Cabrini, Saint of the Green Card|Michael Luongo|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was instead the very best and LaChanze proved how right it is that her name means “the Charmed One” in Creole.
A 9/11 Widow’s Perfect ‘Amazing Grace’ at the Ground Zero Museum|Michael Daly|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some people label Creole food as “city food” and Cajun as “country food.”
Secrets of Creole and Cajun Food|Mary Goodbody|February 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Originating in New Orleans, Creole cuisine is the result of influences from the many nationalities who settled in the city.
Secrets of Creole and Cajun Food|Mary Goodbody|February 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Cajun food developed separately from Creole and has a longer history.
Secrets of Creole and Cajun Food|Mary Goodbody|February 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
To it were attracted the adventurous spirits of the creole city.
American Merchant Ships and Sailors|Willis J. Abbot
"I wouldn't be a creole if I were not," she advised, still smiling.
The Forged Note|Oscar Micheaux
Texas, resenting the instability of Creole government, separated from the Mexican States after a devastating war.
Mexico|Charles Reginald Enock
Yes, our Creole 'we' does damage, and our Creole 'you' does more.
The Grandissimes|George Washington Cable
Then every man in the regiment, Creole and backwoodsman, lay back to laugh.
The Crossing|Winston Churchill
British Dictionary definitions for Creole (1 of 2)
creole
/ (ˈkriːəʊl) /
noun
a language that has its origin in extended contact between two language communities, one of which is generally European. It incorporates features from each and constitutes the mother tongue of a communityCompare pidgin
adjective
denoting, relating to, or characteristic of creole
(of a sauce or dish) containing or cooked with tomatoes, green peppers, onions, etc
Word Origin for creole
C17: via French and Spanish probably from Portuguese crioulo slave born in one's household, person of European ancestry born in the colonies, probably from criar to bring up, from Latin creāre to create
British Dictionary definitions for Creole (2 of 2)
Creole
/ (ˈkriːəʊl) /
noun
(sometimes not capital)(in the Caribbean and Latin America)
a native-born person of European, esp Spanish, ancestry
a native-born person of mixed European and African ancestry who speaks a French or Spanish creole
a native-born Black person as distinguished from one brought from Africa
(in Louisiana and other Gulf States of the US) a native-born person of French ancestry
the creolized French spoken in Louisiana, esp in New Orleans
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of any of these peoples
What Is Louisiana Creole And How Was It Created?Mardi Gras is just a sprinkling of the rich Louisiana Creole culture. Hungry for more? Read on to learn more about what a creole is and how it defines a certain population in Louisiana.