Appaloosa

American

[ap-uh-loo-suh] / ˌæp əˈlu sə /

noun

one of a hardy breed of riding horses, developed in the North American West, having a mottled hide, vertically striped hoofs, and eyes that show a relatively large proportion of white.

Appaloosa British

/ ˌæpəˈluːsə /

noun

a breed of horse, originally from America, typically having a spotted rump

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Appaloosa

1920–25, origin uncertain; perhaps to be identified with Opelousa a Louisiana Indian tribal name (Compare Opelousas poney, recorded in a German text of 1849), though the breed is traditionally associated with the Nez Perce Indians and the Palouse River (West Idaho)

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.

The Appaloosa disclosure didn’t seem to be hurting the major airline stocks.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Appaloosa described itself as one of Whirlpool’s largest shareholders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Appaloosa Management boosted its stake in American Airlines and Big Tech names during the fourth quarter, while selling off positions in several financial names.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026

Appaloosa initiated a holding of 9.25 million shares of American Airlines and purchased 4.3 million shares of Goodyear.

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

The best color is white with a lot of black spots, like an Appaloosa horse.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023