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Arawak

[ ar-uh-wahk, -wak ]

/ ˈær əˌwɑk, -ˌwæk /

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noun, plural Ar·a·waks, (especially collectively) Ar·a·wak for 1.

a member of an Indian people once widespread in the Antilles but now living primarily in coastal northeastern South America.

any of the related Arawakan languages spoken by the Arawak.

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Origin of Arawak

First recorded in 1835–40; a self-designation of the Arawak people

Words nearby Arawak

Araucan, Araucana, Araucania, Araucanian, araucaria, Arawak, Arawakan, Arawn, Araxá, Araxes, arb

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

How to use Arawak in a sentence

An Arawak term for house, referring specifically to a dwelling with an open shed attached.
Original Narratives of Early American History|Vaca and Others
If the Arawak was impatient of control, the Carib was even more independent.
The West Indies and the Spanish Main [1899]|James Rodway
No longer was it the gentle Arawak whom they encountered, but the ferocious cannibal.
The West Indies and the Spanish Main [1899]|James Rodway
I have stated that I am doubtful as to whether totemism exists in Arawak.
Werwolves|Elliott O'Donnell

His women had provision grounds like those of the Arawak, possibly because they came from that stock.
The West Indies and the Spanish Main [1899]|James Rodway