Goombah
WiktionaryText
Etymology 1
Probably originates from (or the cognate, , both akin to Spanish ), used in southern Italy abbreviated in and literally means "friend". To an English-speaking ear, the unaspirated stops of Italian are interpreted as voiced stops, yielding "goombah."
Noun
- A person of Italian descent.
- A companion or associate, sometimes with the connotation of an older friend who acts as a patron, protector or adviser.
Noun
- An alternative spelling of gumbe, a Jamaican drum.