Mescalero

American  

[mes-kuh-lair-oh] / ˌmɛs kəˈlɛər oʊ /

noun

Mescaleros plural

1. a member of an Apache tribe that originally inhabited northern Mexico and the southwestern United States east of the Rio Grande, intermarried with the Chiricahua and Lipan, and that is presently located in New Mexico.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Mescaleros
  plural
• Mescalero
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Mescalero

First recorded in 1830–35; from American Spanish Mescalero (adjective and noun) “(person, people) of the mescal” (several species of agave being a staple food for these people), equivalent to Spanish mescal mescal ( def. ) + -ero from Latin -ārius -ary ( def. )

Example Sentences

Several people were still unaccounted for, according to the governor, who had declared a state of emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation because of the fires.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2024

“The food that we serve tells a story,” said Leah Sainz-Jones, an ʔálʔal Café barista, who is a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe in Arizona.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2023

Authorities say Mescalero Apache Tribal President Arther “Butch” Blazer has lifted evacuation orders issued because of a wildfire near Mescalero on the tribe’s reservation in southern New Mexico.

From Washington Times • Jun. 9, 2018

Her husband, Peter, who is part Mescalero Apache, an indigenous tribe in the Southwest, also voted for Trump.

From Washington Post • Dec. 9, 2016

The military reservation at Fort Stanton was the largest of any post at which I served, and is located as before mentioned on what was then known as the Mescalero Apache Indian reservation.

From Little Pills, An Army Story Being Some Experiences of a United States Army Medical Officer on the Frontier Nearly a Half Century Ago by McKay, Robert Henderson