Afro

¹ American  

[af-roh] / ˈæf roʊ /

noun

plural

Afros

1. a hairstyle originating with Black people, in which naturally curly or frizzy hair is cut into a full, bushy shape all over the head.

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adjective

1. of or relating to African Americans or to Black traditions, culture, etc..

   Afro societies.

Afro- ² American  

1. a combining form of Africa.

   Afro-American; Afro-Asiatic.

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Afro ¹ British  

/ ˈæfrəʊ /

noun

1. a hairstyle in which the hair is shaped into a wide frizzy bush

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Afro- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating Africa or African

   Afro-Asiatic

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Etymology

Origin of Afro¹

First recorded in 1965–70; independent use of Afro-

Origin of Afro-²

< Latin Āfr- (stem of Āfer an African) + -o-

Example Sentences

It spawned some of the band's best-loved songs, including Kinky Afro, Loose Fit and Step On, their era-defining version of John Kongos's 1971 hit He's Gonna Step on You Again.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

US hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes performed in Accra as part of the Rhythm and Brunch concert on Saturday, while popular UK rapper Giggs is playing at the Afro Paradise festival on 31 December.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

The young millennial rocked different hairstyles and loved switching it up: a curly Afro one week, two-strand twists the next, micro plaited braids and a range of cornrow designs.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2024

So I've always been interested in both African foodways and Afro Caribbean foodways.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2024

But he felt so out of place there—like a white man working at Afro Sheen headquarters, he liked to say—that he quit.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt