manitou
[ man-i-too ]
noun,plural man·i·tous, (especially collectively) man·i·tou.
(among the Algonquian people) a supernatural being that controls nature; a spirit, deity, or object that possesses supernatural power.
Origin of manitou
1First recorded in 1605–15; from Unami Delaware monə́t·u, reinforced by or reborrowed from Ojibwe manidoo and other cognates (all from unrecorded Proto-Algonquian maneto·wa ); spelling influenced by equivalent French word
- Also man·i·to [man-i-toh], /ˈmæn ɪˌtoʊ/, man·i·tu [man-i-too]. /ˈmæn ɪˌtu/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for manitou
manitou
manitu manito (ˈmænɪˌtəʊ)
/ (ˈmænɪˌtuː) /
nounplural -tous, -tus, -tos, -tou, -tu or -to
(among the Algonquian Indians) a deified spirit or force
Origin of manitou
1C17: from Algonquian; related to Ojibwa manito spirit
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
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