cayuse
noun
a horse, especially an Indian pony.
cayuse
1 American
[kahy-yoos, kahy-oos]
/ kaɪˈjus, ˈkaɪ us /
noun
-
Western U.S. a horse, especially an Indian pony.
-
Also called cayuse wind. Northwestern U.S. a cold wind blowing from the east.
Cayuse
2
American
[kahy-yoos, kahy-oos]
/ kaɪˈjus, ˈkaɪ us /
noun
-
Cayuses,
plural
-
Cayuse
plural
cayuse
British
/ ˈkaɪuːs /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cayuse
1830–40, named after the Cayuse
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.
See Examples For:
But he did not get to Nevada on his cayuse.
From Time Magazine Archive
We were not under the necessity of being 'grub-staked' by anyone, or more ostentatiously on the hurricane deck of a cayuse.
From Time Magazine Archive
Billy’s own horse was a stringy cayuse with a hammer head, but he nearly always won first prize at the stock trials.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
"I want you to stick right here an' tote me to a cayuse!"
From Hopalong Cassidy by Clarence E. Mulford
He had just come back from yore dam then—had yaller mud on his cayuse an' his stirrups.
From Hopalong Cassidy by Clarence E. Mulford
Other plots involve bandits, guns and an Indigenous tribe, the Cayuse, about to sign a treaty and a rebel faction out to scotch it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025
A variety of Indigenous cultures, including the Molalla, Kalapuya, Tenino, Wasco, Klamath, Northern Paiute and Cayuse, probably used the area for trading, hunting and the collection of plants.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 28, 2023
Before the advent of chairlifts, thousands of skiers visited rope tows at Paradise and Cayuse Pass on winter weekends.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2023
Depending on snow melt and road conditions, Chinook and Cayuse passes typically reopen in late May.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
Still, they came through the river, and Brooke dragged the Cayuse up the bank in time to see the rest disappear into the shanty.
From A Damaged Reputation by Harold Bindloss
When the munitions came, Quartermaster Johnson swore he believed the priests designed them for the Cayuses; said also, a man in this country did not know when he was in a tight place.
From A History of Oregon, 1792-1849 Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information by William Henry Gray
It proved, however, that the Cayuses were fierce and intractable, while the Nez Percés, though warlike and manly, were also docile, ambitious to learn, and predisposed to friendly relations with the Americans.
From The Columbia River Its History, Its Myths, Its Scenery, Its Commerce by William Denison Lyman
The refusal of the Nez Percés and Spokanes and the indifference of the Yakimas to join the Cayuses made their cause hopeless, though there were several fierce fights with them and much severe campaigning.
From The Columbia River Its History, Its Myths, Its Scenery, Its Commerce by William Denison Lyman
All the great tribes of the Columbia plains west of the Nez Percés had broken out, the Cayuses, Yakimas, Palouses, Walla Wallas, Umatillas, and Klickitats.
From The Columbia River Its History, Its Myths, Its Scenery, Its Commerce by William Denison Lyman
At the same moment, the Cayuses in the rear bared their weapons and shouted back the Willamette war-cry.
From The Bridge of the Gods A Romance of Indian Oregon. 19th Edition. by Frederic Homer Balch
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.
