Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A Native American dwelling commonly having an arched or conical framework overlaid with bark, hides, or mats.
from The Century Dictionary.
- The tent or lodge of a North American Indian, generally of a conical shape and formed of bark or mats, or now most often of skins, laid over poles (called
lodge-poles ) stacked on the ground and converging at the top, where is left an opening for the escape of smoke. - A large building; especially, a large structure in which a nominating convention or other political gathering is held.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun An Indian cabin or hut, usually of a conical form, and made of a framework of poles covered with hides, bark, or mats; -- called also
tepee .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
dwelling having anarched framework overlaid withbark ,hides , ormats , used byNative Americans in thenortheastern United States. - noun Any more or less similar dwelling used by indigenous people in other parts of the world.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a Native American lodge frequently having an oval shape and covered with bark or hides
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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She said it with a strange little smile, for now she recognised that the word wigwam was not to be used in her new life.
The Translation of a Savage, Volume 1 Gilbert Parker 1897
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She said it with a strange little smile, for now she recognised that the word wigwam was not to be used in her new life.
The Translation of a Savage, Complete Gilbert Parker 1897
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She said it with a strange little smile, for now she recognised that the word wigwam was not to be used in her new life.
The Project Gutenberg Complete Works of Gilbert Parker Gilbert Parker 1897
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"He doesn't know much about it, if he calls a wigwam a wampum," interposed Miss Smith, with still greater pertness.
A Fair Barbarian Frances Hodgson Burnett 1886
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Look up and around as you enter its celebrated conical concrete "wigwam" - designed and built within five years from 1962 - and you get drawn into one of 20th-century Britain's grandest colour experiences.
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Look up and around as you enter its celebrated conical concrete "wigwam" - designed and built within five years from 1962 - and you get drawn into one of 20th-century Britain's grandest colour experiences.
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The wigwam was a bit bigger than I had imagined and looked comfortable enough, especially since we would have to get up at 4am.
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A wigwam was a round shaped structure made out of bent tree branches that were covered with layers of bark and dried grass.
History of American Women Maggiemac 2008
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The leavings of her lord's feast sufficed for her, and the coldest place in the wigwam was her seat.
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A temporary wooden structure, called a wigwam, had been built for the purpose.
The Life of Abraham Lincoln Henry Ketcham
treeseed commented on the word wigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed single-room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast. The use of these terms by non-Native Americans is somewhat arbitrary and can refer to many distinct types of Native American structures regardless of location or cultural group including the tipi.
_Wikipedia
I know some Native Americans who scoff at the generic use of this word.
February 4, 2008
fbharjo commented on the word wigwam
Also see wikiwam or wiquoam.
February 5, 2021