goober (English)

Where does "goober" come from?

The word 'goober' traces its origins to the Kongo word 'nguba,' which simply means 'peanut.' It entered English by way of the Gullah language, specifically within the Southern United States, where it retained its meaning of a peanut before eventually evolving into a slang term for a silly or foolish person.

Full etymology tree

• goober (English), 'A peanut.'
  • derived Gullah (Gullah)
    • inherited nguba (Kongo), 'peanut'

Direct ancestors

• nguba (Kongo)

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris