Pontiac

American

[pon-tee-ak] / ˈpɒn tiˌæk /

noun

c1720–69, North American Indian, chief of the Ottawa tribe: commander during the Pontiac War 1763–64.
a city in SE Michigan.
a town in central Illinois.

Pontiac British

/ ˈpɒntɪˌæk /

noun

died 1769, chief of the Ottawa Indians, who led a rebellion against the British (1763–66)

"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

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.

He said that Hatley told him she had lost her apartment keys in Cynthia’s Pontiac Fiero on the night of the murder.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

He was a constant worrier who never let the gas gauge on our secondhand Pontiac fall below three quarters full.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

A prosecution application that he be asked to forfeit the Pontiac Firebird was not granted.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2025

In 1961, he became chief engineer at GM’s Pontiac division and introduced two popular “muscle cars,” the GTO and the Firebird.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2024

And Henry drove a BMW, which was far from a Pontiac.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023