Cheyenne

American  

[shahy-en, -an] / ʃaɪˈɛn, -ˈæn /

noun

Cheyennes, plural Cheyenne plural

1. a member of a North American Indian people of the western plains, formerly in central Minnesota and North and South Dakota, and now divided between Montana and Oklahoma.

2. an Algonquian language, the language of the Cheyenne Indians.

3. a city in and the capital of Wyoming, in the S part.

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Cheyenne ¹ British  

/ ʃaɪˈæn /

noun

1. a member of a Native American people of the western Plains, now living chiefly in Montana and Oklahoma

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Algonquian family

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Cheyenne ² British  

/ -ˈɛn, ʃaɪˈæn /

noun

1. a city in SE Wyoming, capital of the state. Pop: 54 374 (2003 est)

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Cheyennes
  plural
• Cheyenne
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Cheyenne

via Canadian French from Dakota Shaiyena, from shaia to speak incoherently, from sha red + ya to speak

Example Sentences

Locals poured into the red brick historic courthouse in Cheyenne for a mid-May meeting of the Laramie County Planning Commission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Cheyenne Hunt, the executive director of progressive nonprofit Gen Z for Change and one of those involved in the Swalwell allegations becoming public, has offered to help former Swalwell staffers find new jobs.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

Microsoft plans to purchase about 3,200 acres in Cheyenne, Wyo., for a data center.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Adding to the diverse mix were hired hands from tribes such as the Comanche, Cheyenne and Apache, who became unrivaled horse whisperers long before settlers arrived on their lands.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Jimmy and his grandfather followed the path to the monument to the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho people.

From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III