Coeur d'Alene

American  

[kur dl-eyn, kawr dl-eyn] / ˌkɜr dlˈeɪn, ˌkɔr dlˈeɪn /

Or Coeur d'Alêne

noun

plural

Coeur d'Alenes,

plural

Coeur d'Alene

1. Also called Schitsu’umsh.  a member of an Indigenous people in northern Idaho and southern Washington State around Coeur d'Alene Lake.

2. Also called Schitsu'umshtsn.  the Salishan language of the Coeur d'Alene.

3. a city in northern Idaho.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Coeur d'Alene or their language.

Etymology

Origin of Coeur d'Alene

First recorded in 1804–06 in the Lewis and Clark expedition; from French Coeur d'Alêne “heart of (an) awl,” of disputed meaning; possibly applied by French traders to a stingy tribal chief, possibly applied by a tribal chief's description of the size of a French trader's heart, or possibly referring to the sharpness of the trading skills of the native people in their dealings with the traders

Example Sentences

Steve Holland had to cut the price of his $1.895 million house near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho by 12% before he got a buyer.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 20, 2025

“I’m kind of just dumbfounded why it’s going up so much,” said Chad Smith, 51, who with his wife owns a landscaping company in Coeur d’Alene.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

Residents have been asked to avoid the city of Coeur d'Alene as the suspect is still at large.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2025

Borrenpohl's lawsuit comes shortly after the Coeur d’Alene City Prosecutor’s office brought charges against the security guards.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2025

So I told him about Gram and about how Gramps had to stay with her and about how I had driven from Coeur d’Alene very carefully.

From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech