bayou

3 definitions • 4 examples

(in the southern US) a very slow-moving stream or river that flows through flat, wet ground near the coast and is usually shallow (= not deep) with trees growing in and around it:

This water plant grows so quickly that it can cover a wide bayou in a day or two.

The nearby lakes and bayous are popular for fishing.

a flat, wet area of land near the coast in the southern US that contains many connected, slow-moving streams and lakes, and usually has many trees growing in it:

The movie tells the story of a Cajun boy in the bayou who spends his time rafting through alligator-infested marshes and inky rivers.

She was surprised to learn that her grandmother had lived in the bayous as a child.

(in the southern US) an area of slowly moving or still water connected to a river or lake