dream catcher

American  

[dreem kach-er] / ˈdrim ˌkætʃ ər /

Or dreamcatcher

noun

dream catchers plural

1. a net or web woven onto a hoop and often adorned with feathers and beads, originating in Ojibwe culture and intended to provide protection, filter out bad dreams, or bring good dreams.

   The dream catcher above the baby's cradle was made with a traditional willow frame.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dream catchers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dream catcher

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dream catcher

Mann is a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in California, and taking up her mother’s dream catcher, a small traditional webbed hoop believed to offer protection.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2022

The 40-minute display will feature aerial stunts with performers hanging from a giant dream catcher.

From BBC ● May 9, 2022

To honor his traditions, Costandine sprinkled tobacco around his grave, burned sage to cleanse away any negative energy and hung a dream catcher to filter out any bad dreams.

From Washington Times ● May 31, 2021

A dream catcher now hung on a wall.

From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2011

I rolled over onto my back, reaching up to tap the raggedy dream catcher I’d bent out of branches and filled with vines for her so that it swung on its string.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline