Cajun

UK: /ˈkeɪdʒən/ US: (kā′jən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

Ca•jun  (kā′jən), n. 

1. Anthropology, Language Varieties a member of a group of people with an enduring cultural tradition whose French Catholic ancestors established permanent communities in Louisiana and Maine after being expelled from Acadia in the late 18th century.
2. Language Varieties the French dialect of the Cajuns.

adj. 

3. Food, Language Varieties of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Cajuns, esp. those of Louisiana:
   Cajun cooking.

Also, Cajan. 

• 1875–80; aphetic variant of Acadian; compare Injun for Indian

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Cajun / ˈkeɪdʒən/ noun

1. a native of Louisiana descended from 18th-century Acadian immigrants
2. the dialect of French spoken by such people
3. the music of this ethnic group, combining blues and European folk music

adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or characteristic of such people, their language, or their music

Etymology: 19th Century: alteration of Acadian; compare Injun for Indian