Rastus
name, noun ·2 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A stereotypical African American man, often a cheerful character in minstrel shows. historical, offensive
"But neither did it turn them into Rastuses and Sambos; nor deprive their behaviour of logical and recognisable roots in the conditions of a regional culture whose impact had been distilled into Negro spirituals or the blues."
- 1 A male given name of American usage.
Example
More examples"But neither did it turn them into Rastuses and Sambos; nor deprive their behaviour of logical and recognisable roots in the conditions of a regional culture whose impact had been distilled into Negro spirituals or the blues."
Etymology
Thought to be derived from Erastus. Despite paucity of actual usage, the name became associated with African-American men because of a character in the first Uncle Remus book by Joel Chandler Harris.
Related phrases
More for "rastus"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.