Cheyenne

American  

[shahy-en, -an] / ʃaɪˈɛn, -ˈæn /

noun

Cheyennes, plural Cheyenne plural

1. a member of a North American Indian people of the western plains, formerly in central Minnesota and North and South Dakota, and now divided between Montana and Oklahoma.

2. an Algonquian language, the language of the Cheyenne Indians.

3. a city in and the capital of Wyoming, in the S part.

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Cheyenne ¹ British  

/ ʃaɪˈæn /

noun

1. a member of a Native American people of the western Plains, now living chiefly in Montana and Oklahoma

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Algonquian family

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Cheyenne ² British  

/ -ˈɛn, ʃaɪˈæn /

noun

1. a city in SE Wyoming, capital of the state. Pop: 54 374 (2003 est)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Cheyenne
  plural
• Cheyennes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Cheyenne

via Canadian French from Dakota Shaiyena, from shaia to speak incoherently, from sha red + ya to speak

Example Sentences

Cheyenne, a city of 66,000 nicknamed “The Magic City of the Plains,” was built on rail, ranching, oil and gas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Cheyenne Hunt, the executive director of progressive nonprofit Gen Z for Change and one of those involved in the Swalwell allegations becoming public, has offered to help former Swalwell staffers find new jobs.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

The tech giant said it has committed more than $68 million in completed and future off-site infrastructure improvements across Cheyenne.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The two accusers were interviewed alongside Cheyenne Hunt, a Democratic influencer who posted a video describing several women's accusations against Swalwell, bringing the issue to the public's attention.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“Well, Crazy Horse was the biggest reason the Lakota and Cheyenne won the battle. December twenty-first, 1866, was the start of winter. The temperature that day was thirty degrees below zero.”

From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III