Erie
Americannoun
-
Lake, a lake between the NE central United States and SE central Canada: the southernmost lake of the Great Lakes; site of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 in which Commodore Perry defeated the British. 239 miles (385 km) long; 9,940 sq. mi. (25,745 sq. km).
-
a port in NW Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie.
-
a member of a tribe of American Indians formerly living along the southern shore of Lake Erie.
noun
-
a member of a North American Indian people formerly living south of Lake Erie
-
the language of this people, possibly belonging to the Iroquoian family
noun
-
a lake between the US and Canada: the southernmost and the shallowest of the Great Lakes; empties by the Niagara River into Lake Ontario. Area: 25 718 sq km (9930 sq miles)
-
a port in NW Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie. Pop: 101 373 (2003 est)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Erie
From Erie (an Iroquoian language) Erie, Eriez, shortening of Erielhonan “long tail” (the Erie were called the Cat People, referring to the cougar)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet over the next five months, the 40-year-old from Cincinnati has a Disney cruise, a visit to Lake Erie and a trip to New Orleans for a Bruno Mars concert booked.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Alam was in the country legally, but he had been detained for almost a year in the Erie County jail and released on a misdemeanor plea deal.
From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026
Earlier, in 2007, scientists detected signs of an extremely strong toxin called saxitoxin in Lake Erie, although its biological source remained unknown.
From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2025
Lake effect snow downwind of Lakes Superior, Erie, and Ontario could reduce visibility on roadways on Thanksgiving, with more than a foot of snow expected in some areas by Friday.
From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025
“My legs are aching to be stretched after being cooped up for eight hours. I might just run from here to Erie and back.”
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
