Kootenay

or Koo·te·nai, Ku·te·nay, Ku·te·nai

[ koot-n-ey, ˈkut-n-ee ]

/ ˈkut nˌeɪ, -nˌi /

Save This Word!

noun, plural Koo·te·nays (especially collectively) Koo·te·nay for 1.

a member of an Indigenous people of Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia.

the language of the Kootenay.

a river flowing from southwestern Canada through northwestern Montana and northern Idaho, swinging back into Canada to the Columbia River. 400 miles (645 km) long.

adjective

of or relating to the Kootenay or their language.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Kootenay

First recorded in 1800–10; from Kootenay (a language isolate) Kútonâqa, a self-designation of some Canadian Kootenay; see isolate

Words nearby Kootenay

Kooning, Koopmans, Koord, koori, kootchar, Kootenay, Kootenay Lake, kop, kopeck, Kopeisk, kopfring

How to use Kootenay in a sentence

With its expansions, the narrow and deep Arrow lakes, it is an important waterway in the Kootenay region.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2|Various
Got wind of him at Calgary, followed up the clue past Morleyville, then along the Kootenay trail.
Corporal Cameron|Ralph Connor
"Jolly little girl," said the Inspector, as they turned from the railway tote road down the coulee into the Kootenay trail.
Corporal Cameron|Ralph Connor
"An' his big feet, an' his soft throat, an' the clumsy thickness of his belly," interrupted the Kootenay man.
Kazan|James Oliver Curwood

Just below the point where the Kootenay River breaks out of the lake is the little hamlet of Proctor.
Days in the Open|Lathan A. Crandall

British Dictionary definitions for Kootenay

Kootenay

Kootenai

/ (ˈkuːtəniː, ˈkuːtneɪ) /

noun

a river in W North America, rising in SE British Columbia and flowing south into NW Montana, then north into Idaho before re-entering British Columbia, broadening into Kootenay Lake, then flowing to the Columbia River. Length: 655 km (407 miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012