Carib

American  

[kar-ib] / ˈkær ɪb /

noun

PLURAL

Caribs

PLURAL

Carib

1. a member of a group of Indigenous peoples formerly dominant in the Lesser Antilles, now found in parts of the West Indies, Central America, and northeastern South America.

2. the family of languages spoken by the Caribs.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Caribs or their languages.

Carib British  

/ ˈkærɪb /

noun

1. a member of a group of American Indian peoples of NE South America and the Lesser Antilles

2. the family of languages spoken by these peoples

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Other Word Forms

• Cariban adjective

Etymology

Origin of Carib

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish caribe, from Taíno caniba, caribe, apparently “brave, daring, fierce person,” perhaps ultimately a borrowing from Carib kalina, karina “(brave, strong) person” or derived from a Cariban root that also appears in the names of the Garifuna, Kalina, and Kalinago peoples; Kalina ( def. )

Example Sentences

I visited in October during Creole Heritage Month, when St. Lucia’s melting pot of Arawak, Carib, African, French and Indian-influenced culture is on full display.

From New York Times

They hired Carib Daniel Martin, an architect based in Kensington, Md., who has worked with Matt.

From Washington Post

Free and enslaved Black, Native American and Carib Indian people were buried here.

From Washington Post

His crews had observed native Caribs smoking it.

From Salon

What must it have meant to Malcolm that his mother came from the rebellious island nation of Grenada, where Caribs fought and bravely died for their freedom?

From New York Times