-
Appalachian
-
appalachian
appalachianadjectiveof, from, or relating to the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the Appalachian Mountains.
-
of or relating to the region of Appalachia, its inhabitants, or their culture.
-
Geology. of or relating to the orogeny and accompanying intrusion that occurred in eastern North America during the Pennsylvanian and Permian periods.
noun
adjective
-
of, from, or relating to the Appalachian Mountains
-
geology of or relating to an episode of mountain building in the late Palaeozoic era during which the Appalachian Mountains were formed
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That’s the Appalachian landscape that Baurichter, a writer and stay-at-home mother in Higginsport, yearned to return to after a stint in Cincinnati for college.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
The first decades of the 19th century saw the U.S. expand rapidly while the list of major cities reached well beyond the Appalachian Mountains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Massie should do well in his Appalachian base and turn out as many voters as possible.
From Slate ● May 19, 2026
In a lot behind a disused West Virginia gas station at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Roy Funkhouser is surrounded by about a dozen beekeepers and countless buzzing bees.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
Finally, we entered hill country, climbing higher and deeper into the Appalachian Mountains, stopping from time to time to let the Oldsmobile catch its breath on the steep, twisting roads.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
![]()
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.