CREOLE

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Creole mean? 

• CREOLE (noun)
  The noun CREOLE has 3 senses:

1. a person of European descent born in the West Indies or Latin America

2. a person descended from French ancestors in southern United States (especially Louisiana)

3. a mother tongue that originates from contact between two languages

  Familiarity information: CREOLE used as a noun is uncommon.

• CREOLE (adjective)
  The adjective CREOLE has 2 senses:

1. of or relating to a language that arises from contact between two other languages and has features of both

2. of or relating to or characteristic of native-born persons of French descent in Louisiana

  Familiarity information: CREOLE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CREOLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person of European descent born in the West Indies or Latin America

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Creole" is a kind of...):

American (a native or inhabitant of a North American or Central American or South American country)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person descended from French ancestors in southern United States (especially Louisiana)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Creole" is a kind of...):

American (a native or inhabitant of the United States)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A mother tongue that originates from contact between two languages

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("creole" is a kind of...):

natural language; tongue (a human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "creole"):

Haitian Creole (a creole language spoken by most Haitians; based on French and various African languages)

Derivation:

creolize (develop into a creole)

• CREOLE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to a language that arises from contact between two other languages and has features of both

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

Creole grammars

Pertainym:

creole (a mother tongue that originates from contact between two languages)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of or relating to or characteristic of native-born persons of French descent in Louisiana

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

Creole cooking

Pertainym:

Creole (a person descended from French ancestors in southern United States (especially Louisiana))

 Context examples 

Mme. Fournaye, who is of Creole origin, is of an extremely excitable nature, and has suffered in the past from attacks of jealousy which have amounted to frenzy.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Her mother, the Creole, was both a madwoman and a drunkard!—as I found out after I had wed the daughter: for they were silent on family secrets before.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I longed only for what suited me—for the antipodes of the Creole: and I longed vainly.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Mr. Briggs calmly took a paper from his pocket, and read out in a sort of official, nasal voice:—'I affirm and can prove that on the 20th of October A.D. — (a date of fifteen years back), Edward Fairfax Rochester, of Thornfield Hall, in the county of —, and of Ferndean Manor, in —shire, England, was married to my sister, Bertha Antoinetta Mason, daughter of Jonas Mason, merchant, and of Antoinetta his wife, a Creole, at — church, Spanish Town, Jamaica. The record of the marriage will be found in the register of that church—a copy of it is now in my possession. Signed, Richard Mason.'

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)