: any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies
broadly
: storyteller
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An African tribal storyteller and musician is called a griot. The griot’s role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the tribe. They were usually among the oldest men in a tribe. In places where written language is the privilege of the few, the place of the griot as cultural guardian is still maintained. In Senegal, for example, the griot—without resorting to fantasy—recites poems or tells stories of warriors, drawing on his own sources of inspiration.
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But that’s not the case, and as the opening prologue showcases, the Irish have their own form of griots, the filidh, poets, and oral history keepers who were successors to the druids.
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Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
Sinners interrupts its own plot to express that the spirit of African griots will continue to take new shapes in centuries to come.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
From dishes like griot (marinated and fried pork shoulder) to the Haitian patty, which is similar to the Jamaican patty but with a fluffier, puff-pastry exterior.
—Essence, 22 Dec. 2024
Members of Miami's Haitian community also eat seasoned roast pork — griot — for Christmas.
—Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
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Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
Sinners interrupts its own plot to express that the spirit of African griots will continue to take new shapes in centuries to come.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
From dishes like griot (marinated and fried pork shoulder) to the Haitian patty, which is similar to the Jamaican patty but with a fluffier, puff-pastry exterior.
—Essence, 22 Dec. 2024
Members of Miami's Haitian community also eat seasoned roast pork — griot — for Christmas.
—Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for griot
Cite this Entry
“Griot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/griot. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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griot
noun
gri·ot
ˈgrē-ˌō 
: any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies
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