Erie

[eer-ee]

noun

plural

Eries ,

plural

Erie .

1. 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).

2. a port in NW Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie.

3. a member of a tribe of American Indians formerly living along the southern shore of Lake Erie.

Erie

¹

/ ˈɪərɪ /

noun

1. a member of a North American Indian people formerly living south of Lake Erie

2. the language of this people, possibly belonging to the Iroquoian family

Erie

²

/ ˈɪərɪ /

noun

1. 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)

2. a port in NW Pennsylvania, on Lake Erie. Pop: 101 373 (2003 est)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Erie¹

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

Speaking in Erie, Pennsylvania, Obama said: "I think at moments like this, when tensions are high, then part of the job of the president is to pull people together."

From BBC

A ship identifying itself as the USS Lake Erie - a guided missile cruiser - last transmitted its location in the Caribbean Sea on 30 August, east of the Panama Canal on 30 August.

From BBC

Last August, I was standing on Lake Erie’s Ohio shore, shielding my eyes from the sun while talking to a middle-aged guy wearing swimming trunks and a shell necklace.

From Salon

There are these different places that I haven’t been to in a long time, like Erie, Pa., where I have family.

From Los Angeles Times

Seated around a breakfast table in Erie, Pennsylvania, four veterans in their mid-80s - John, Jack, Bob and Don - gather to reminisce about their decades of friendship.

From BBC