Quinault

American  

[kwi-nawlt] / kwɪˈnɔlt /

noun

Quinaults, plural Quinault plural

1. a member of an Indigenous people of western Washington State.

2. the Salishan language of the Quinault.

3. a river flowing southwest from the Olympic Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. 65 miles (105 km) long.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to the Quinault or their language.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Quinaults
  plural
• Quinault
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Quinault

First recorded in 1865–70; from Quinault kʷínayɬ, kʷinajɬ, the name of a village at the mouth of the Quinault River (now called Taholah)

Example Sentences

Spencer came with a late surge on his mount to triumph on Britain's richest race day, with 66-1 shot Quinault third in the 19-runner contest.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2025

Then just after 10 p.m. on July 17, 1944, there was a massive explosion of munitions while the SS Quinault Victory and SS E. A. Bryan were berthed at the pier.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2024

Ashley Nichole Lewis, a member of the Quinault Nation and a fishing guide, said she’s watched the warming waters — sometimes reaching lethal temperatures — and late-season rains force the salmon to change their behavior.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2023

The cousins were last seen on Aug. 30, 1979, in Taholah, a community on the Quinault Reservation, in Grays Harbor County, that is home to Quinault Indian Nation headquarters.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 8, 2023

But there are tribal names, too—the Puyallup, the Quinault, the Cowichan.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day