Araucanian

[ ar-aw-key-nee-uhn ]

/ ˌær ɔˈkeɪ ni ən /

Save This Word!

noun

a member of an Indian people of central Chile.

the language of the Araucanians, spoken in central Chile and northern Argentina.

adjective

pertaining to the Araucanians or to their language.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Araucanian

First recorded in 1900–05; Araucani(a) + -an

Words nearby Araucanian

Aras, Aratus of Sicyon, Araucan, Araucana, Araucania, Araucanian, araucaria, Arawak, Arawakan, Arawn, Araxá

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Araucanian in a sentence

Villagran, returning to the capital with reinforcements, found the investing Araucanian army in a totally unprepared condition.
South America|W. H. Koebel
Arauco, a province of Chile, named from the Araucanian Indians; area, 2189 sq. miles; pop.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various
It was in the neighbourhood of the Biobio River that he first encountered the Araucanian warriors of the true stock.
South America|W. H. Koebel
Very possibly, chief; but, according to that principle, all Chili was Araucanian previous to the discovery of America.
The Adventurers|Gustave Aimard

At this moment the Araucanian drums and trumpets sounded loudly—the chasquis were calling the chiefs to council.
The Adventurers|Gustave Aimard

British Dictionary definitions for Araucanian

Araucanian

/ (ˌærɔːˈkeɪnɪən) /

noun

a South American Indian language; thought to be an isolated branch of the Penutian phylum, spoken in Chile and W Argentina

a member of the people who speak this language

adjective

of or relating to this people or their language

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