Comanche

American  

[kuh-man-chee, koh-] / kəˈmæn tʃi, koʊ- /

noun

Comanches plural

1. a member of a Shoshonean tribe, the only tribe of the group living entirely on the Plains, formerly ranging from Wyoming to Texas, now in Oklahoma.

2. the dialect of Shoshone spoken by the Comanche.

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Comanche British  

/ kəˈmæntʃɪ /

noun

1. a member of a Native American people, formerly ranging from the River Platte to the Mexican border, now living in Oklahoma

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Shoshonean subfamily of the Uto-Aztecan family

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Etymology

Origin of Comanche

An Americanism first recorded in 1800–10; from Colonial Spanish, from Southern Paiute kɨmmanci-, as in kɨmmanciŋwṫ “strangers, Shoshones”; or from a related word in another Numic language

Example Sentences

“We aren’t fighting against the government,” said Comanche, a Mayitos lieutenant, in a widely heard audio posted on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 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

LawConnect, one of five ultra-fast 100-foot supermaxis competing for line honours, led the fleet out of the harbour ahead of highly favoured supermaxi Comanche.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

“Prey” gave us an 18th-century Comanche woman, Naru, who beat her tribe’s hunter from beyond the stars with the same ingenuity that Dutch employed.

From Salon • Nov. 12, 2025

And then, anticipating my next question, he said, “He died of wounds he sustained in a battle against the Comanche in the Oklahoma Territories.”

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly