Cheyenne

American  

[shahy-en, -an] / ʃaɪˈɛn, -ˈæn /

noun

Cheyennes 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

“It is really changing the dynamics of Cheyenne. We’ve got the folks that love it, and then we see folks that say, ‘I want Cheyenne to stay the small and great community we have.’

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

The tech giant said it has committed more than $68 million in completed and future off-site infrastructure improvements across Cheyenne.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Aspiring actor and “Euphoria” fan Cheyenne Washington, who grew up in a small town in Connecticut, also recognized the characters.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 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