Mescalero

American  

[mes-kuh-lair-oh] / ˌmɛs kəˈlɛər oʊ /

noun

Mescaleros, plural Mescalero plural

1. a member of an Apache tribe that originally inhabited northern Mexico and the southwestern United States east of the Rio Grande, intermarried with the Chiricahua and Lipan, and that is presently located in New Mexico.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Mescalero
  plural
• Mescaleros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Mescalero

First recorded in 1830–35; from American Spanish Mescalero (adjective and noun) “(person, people) of the mescal” (several species of agave being a staple food for these people), equivalent to Spanish mescal mescal ( def. ) + -ero from Latin -ārius -ary ( def. )

Example Sentences

Several people were still unaccounted for, according to the governor, who had declared a state of emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation because of the fires.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2024

New Mexico last summer partnered with the Navajo Nation, Nambé Pueblo and the Mescalero Apache Nation to expand pre-K programs.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2023

Her husband, Peter, who is part Mescalero Apache, an indigenous tribe in the Southwest, also voted for Trump.

From Washington Post • Dec. 9, 2016

The Mescalero Apache Reservation is about 100 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2015

Howd'y, Ed," Jim began, "I've jumped the Mescalero Reservation, headed north.

From The Red-Blooded Heroes of the Frontier by Bronson, Edgar Beecher