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View synonyms for

goober

[ goo-ber ]

noun

South Midland and Southern U.S.
  1. the peanut.


goober

/ ˈɡ³Ü˲úÉ™ /

noun

  1. another name for peanut
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of goober1

First recorded in 1825–35; of Bantu origin; compare Kongo, Kimbundu nguba ‼õ±ð²¹²Ô³Ü³Ùâ€
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of goober1

C19: of African (Angolan) origin; related to Kongo nguba
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The roughly hewn goober had been strapped to the back of a logging truck, hauled across the country and parked near the White House.

From

Stokes was the beneficiary of perhaps the worst drop of the lot, a complete goober by opposite number Tom Latham at short cover when the England skipper had 30.

From

It comes off as goober posturing, not worthy of the sixth-most populous county in the nation.

From

A serpent-tongued viper might call these true believers goobers, rubes, suckers, and dupes, but what good would it do?

From

This time, the giant goober is made of sheet metal, not fiberglass.

From

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More About Goober

What doesÌýgoober mean?

Goober is an informal name for a peanut.

The peanut is sometimes also called the goober pea. Goober is also used as a slang term for an unsophisticated, goofy person, especially one from a rural area, somewhat similar to the term bumpkin.

Goober is primarily used in the Southern and Midland United States.

Example: I can’t wait to get some boiled goobers at a roadside stand when I go back home to Georgia.

Where doesÌýgoober come from?

The first records of the word goober in English come from the 1800s. It might sound like a silly slang word, but it’s actually of African origin, based on the word nguba found in many African languages, like Kongo and Kimbundu.

The peanut itself (which is not a nut but a legume) is probably native to South America, but it was eventually brought to Africa by trade, where it was grown as food. Both the peanut and the African word for it were introduced to North America by African people who were enslaved and forced to work on plantations there. As an informal word for a peanut, goober is mostly used in the region of the U.S. where the enslaved African people started to grow them: the Southern and Midland states. You’re most likely to find goober pie (or someone who even knows what that is) in the South.

As a slang word meaning something like “goofball†or “bumpkin,†goober may have been popularized by a TV character named Goober on The Andy Griffith Show who was the epitome of a goober: simple and naive but cheery and good-natured. Calling someone a goober can be an insult, but it’s more likely to be used fondly and endearingly.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for goober?

What are some words that often get used in discussing goober?

How isÌýgoober used in real life?

Goober as an informal word for a peanut is primarily used by those who live in the American South. As a slang term for a goofy person it’s more widespread outside that region.

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Try usingÌýgoober!

Is goober used correctly in the following sentence?

Milly can be kind of a goober sometimes, but she’s fun to be around.

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