arango

A1R1A1N1G2O1
/əˈɹæŋɡəʊ/

noun

A rough carnelian bead, formerly used in Africa as currency when buying slaves for the slave trade.

OriginMalagasy rango →
UncommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

arango1

nounarango (plural arangos or arangoes)

plural arangos · plural arangoes · alternative rango

  1. A rough carnelian bead, formerly used in Africa as currency when buying slaves for the slave trade.

    There we purchased two sheep, one for two strings of arangoes, for the other I gave a note upon Mr. Walker for a bar of salt.

    1794, James Watt, Journal of James Watt: Expedition to Timbo Capital of the Fula Empire in 1794

Arango2

proper nounArango (plural Arangos)

plural Arangos

  1. A surname.

Origin

arango · noun

  1. Malagasyrango“long and thin”
  2. Englisharango

Rango is the earlier form, attested from 1644. From Malagasy rango (“long and thin”).

More words from Malagasy

Full word history & related roots →

Arango · proper noun

  1. SpanishArango
  2. EnglishArango

Borrowed from Spanish Arango, habitational surname of Basque origin.

More words from Spanish

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

AragonangoraagroanArgoan
Cite this entry
APA

arango. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arango

MLA

“arango.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arango. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “arango,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arango.

Source: arango on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.