Appalachian

American  

[ap-uh-ley-chuhn, -ley-chee-uhn, -lach-ee-uhn, lach-uhn] / ˌæp əˈleɪ tʃən, -ˈleɪ tʃi ən, -ˈlætʃ i ən, ˈlætʃ ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Appalachian Mountains.

2. of or relating to the region of Appalachia, its inhabitants, or their culture.

3. Geology. of or relating to the orogeny and accompanying intrusion that occurred in eastern North America during the Pennsylvanian and Permian periods.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Appalachia, especially one of predominantly Scotch-Irish, English, or German ancestry who exemplifies the characteristic cultural traditions of this region.

Etymology

Origin of Appalachian

First recorded in 1670–80; from Spanish Apalchen, Apalachen, perhaps from Apalachee (an extinct Muskogean language) abalahci “other side of the river” or from Hitchiti (an extinct Muskogean language) apalwahči “dwelling on one side”; the Spanish transcription of the name of a Muskogean village near Tallahassee in the Florida panhandle, recorded on the expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez (1478?–1528), later altered by the Spanish to Apalachee and applied to the Indian tribe, the surrounding area and the hinterland north to the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains

Example Sentences

National Fuel Gas owns roughly 1.2 million acres in the Appalachian Basin, with substantial mineral ownership overlying the Marcellus and Utica shales.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

At the same time, “freeze-offs,” which refer to a slowdown in production caused by the cold weather and ice, can reduce output across the Appalachian, Bakken, South Central and Permian regions, he said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026

When the BBC visited in November, workers were busy knocking down a decrepit old barn, one of many that dot the Appalachian landscape.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

This goes far beyond the typical Appalachian tragedies people are used to ignoring.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

Greylock is certainly the most literary of Appalachian mountains.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson