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Onondaga

American  
[on-uhn-daw-guh, -dah-, -dey-] / ˌɒn ənˈdɔ gə, -ˈdɑ-, -ˈdeɪ- /

noun

Onondagas, plural Onondaga plural
  1. a member of a tribe of Iroquoian Indians formerly inhabiting the region of Onondaga Lake.

  2. the dialect of the Seneca language spoken by these Indians.

  3. Lake, a salt lake in central New York. 5 miles (8 km) long; 1 mile (1.6 km) wide.


Onondaga British  
/ ˌɒnənˈdɑːɡə /

noun

  1. a salt lake in central New York State. Area: about 13 sq km (5 sq miles)

  2. a member of a North American Indian Iroquois people formerly living between Lake Champlain and the St Lawrence River

  3. the language of this people, belonging to the Iroquoian family

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of Onondaga

From the Onondaga word onǫ́·tàʔke on the hill, the name of the main Onondaga town, at successive locations

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

At the Micron groundbreaking in January, Republican Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon celebrated the bipartisanship that allowed what he called a “red, white and blue” day.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

Micron recently broke ground on what the company says will eventually be a $100 billion chip-making complex in Onondaga County, N.Y.

From Barron's Jan. 27, 2026

On Friday, Micron broke ground on what the company says will eventually be a $100 billion “megafab” in Onondaga County, N.Y.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 17, 2026

At a news conference on Tuesday, Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick had ordered the players to turn themselves in within 48 hours or risk being prosecuted as adults.

From BBC Apr. 30, 2025

Despite all the convulsions of history, the Onondaga have kept the council fire burning for Haudenosaunee to this day.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

While an opinion could be years off, the Onondagas are used to waiting.

From Washington Times Sep. 30, 2023

The Onondagas say they don’t want to force people from their homes.

From Washington Times Sep. 30, 2023

The Onondagas have effectively spent more than 200 years seeking recognition their land was unlawfully taken.

From Washington Times Sep. 30, 2023

There was a keen competition between the Mohawks and the Onondagas, both for the French colony and for the possession of the remnant of the Hurons.

From Count Frontenac Makers of Canada, Volume 3 by LeSueur, William Dawson

Finally, a man named Hayenwatha was a chief among the Onondagas.

From American Indians by Starr, Frederick

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