(derogatory) (used chiefly by townspeople) a person who lives in the country, esp one who appears to be simple and old-fashioned
Derived Forms
yokelish, adjective
Word Origin
C19: perhaps from dialect yokel green woodpecker, yellowhammer
Word Origin and History for yokel
n.
1812, perhaps from dialectal German Jokel, disparaging name for a farmer, originally diminutive of Jakob. Or perhaps from English yokel, dialectal name for "woodpecker."