bozo

Attested since the 1910s in American English, of uncertain origin.^[1][2] The term may derive from Spanish bozal, a term originally for a recently-imported slave and then "someone who speaks (Spanish) poorly".^[3] The term is older than Bozo the Clown, introduced in 1946.^[3] 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.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbəʊ.zəʊ/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

  • Audio (General Australian):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊzəʊ

bozo (plural bozos)

1. (slang) A stupid, foolish, or ridiculous person, especially a man. [from 1910s]
   • 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 51:

     ‘What’s the big bozo up to?’

• See also Thesaurus:fool

• zobo

• buzo
• buço (reintegrationist)

From Late Latin *buccĕus (“relating or belonging to the mouth”).^[1] See bucca for more.

• Hyphenation: bo‧zo

bozo m (plural bozos)

1. muzzle

   Synonyms: boceira, embozo, vetillo

2. pout
3. fish mouth
4. upper lip fluff

• bozal
• embozar

• boza

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “bozo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “bozo”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “bozo”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Borrowed from Medieval Latin *buccĕus (“relating or belonging to the mouth”). See bucca for more.

• IPA^(key): /ˈboθo/ [ˈbo.θo] (Spain)
• IPA^(key): /ˈboso/ [ˈbo.so] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -oθo (Spain)
• Rhymes: -oso (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: bo‧zo

bozo m (plural bozos)

1. down, peach fuzz (soft hair on the upper lip)
2. muzzle, mouth (exterior part of the mouth)
3. halter (for leading horses)

• lanugo
• vello

• “bozo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

bozo

1. ball