sagamore

American

[sag-uh-mawr, ‑-mohr] / ˈsæg əˌmɔr, ‑ˌmoʊr /

noun

(among the American Indians of New England) a chief or leader.

sagamore British

/ ˈsæɡəˌmɔː /

noun

Also called: sachem. (among some North American Indians) a chief or eminent man

"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

Etymology

Origin of sagamore

1605–15, < Eastern Abenaki sὰkəmα < Proto-Algonquian *sa˙kima˙wa; sachem

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.

Winds of Thunder, the tribe’s sagamore, or chief of chiefs, called the land its “spiritual high grounds” and said it wants the land back because it was its principal village.

From Seattle Times

In his day, Philip was lord and sagamore of the Nantucket Indians.

From Project Gutenberg

His bearing makes him conspicuous among a score of famous sagamores who are leading the assault.

From Project Gutenberg

Micmac sagamore; became a convert to Christianity in extreme old age.

From Project Gutenberg

Lescarbot describes the Indian sagamore as a man of great influence who loved the French and admired their civilization.

From Project Gutenberg

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