bozo
/ˈboʊ.zoʊ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.62 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A member of a West African ethnic group located predominantly along the Niger River in Mali, famous for their fishing
Example Sentences
- "‘What’s the big bozo up to?’"
Etymology
Attested since the 1910s in American English, of uncertain origin. The term may derive from Spanish bozal, a term originally for a recently-imported slave and then "someone who speaks (Spanish) poorly". The term is older than Bozo the Clown, introduced in 1946. It is used as an insult in the 1931 Marx Brothers movie Monkey Business (1931 film). Derivation of the term from French bouseux /bu.zø/, a derogative term for a farmer equivalent to "bumpkin", is phonologically unlikely. Another possibility is Japanese 坊主 (bōzu) in its meaning of "young man", which can be derogatory, depending on the context.