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Onondaga

[on-uh n-daw-guh, -dah-, -dey-]
noun, plural On·on·da·gas, (especially collectively) On·on·da·ga for 1.
  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.

Origin of Onondaga

From the Onondaga word onǫ́·tàʔke on the hill, the name of the main Onondaga town, at successive locations
Related formsOn·on·da·gan, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for onondaga

Historical Examples of onondaga

  • "When the Five Nations possessed the country, the buffaloes came to us," said the Onondaga.

    The Trail Book

    Mary Austin

  • "There are spirits in all things," said the Onondaga gravely.

    The Trail Book

    Mary Austin

  • The Onondaga let his pipe go out while he explained the winter habits of moose.

    The Trail Book

    Mary Austin

  • The Iroquois capital, Onondaga, was filled with wild rumors.

  • The prisoners were allowed some freedom in the Onondaga village.

British Dictionary definitions for onondaga

Onondaga

noun
  1. Lake Onondaga a salt lake in central New York State. Area: about 13 sq km (5 sq miles)
  2. plural -gas or -ga 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

Word Origin for Onondaga

from Iroquois onõtáge', literally: on the top of the hill (the name of their principal village)
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
Word Origin and History for onondaga

Onondaga

tribe in the Iroquois Confederacy, 1684, named for its principal settlement, from Onondaga onontake, literally "on the hill."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper