Shawnee

[ shaw-nee ]

/ ʃɔˈni /

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noun, plural Shaw·nees, (especially collectively) Shaw·nee.

a member of an Algonquian-speaking tribe formerly in the east-central U.S., now in Oklahoma.

the Algonquian language of the Shawnee tribe.

a town in E Kansas.

a city in central Oklahoma.

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Origin of Shawnee

1720–30, Americanism; back formation from earlier Shawnese,Shawanese (construed as plural), reshaping (with -ese) of earlier Shawanoes (plural) <Munsee Delaware šá·wano·w (singular) <Shawnee ša·wano·ki Shawnees, literally, people of the south

Words nearby Shawnee

shawl, shawl collar, shawlie, shawm, Shawn, Shawnee, Shawnees, Shawwal, shay, shaykh, Shays

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Shawnee in a sentence

In the 18th century, the Wyandot, Delaware and Shawnee passed through the area and called the river “Hockhocking,” which inspired the park’s name.
Just in time for summer: 49 new National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads|Andrea Sachs|April 16, 2021|Washington Post
We descended a fantastical stone staircase, one of many highlights at Shawnee completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
A day’s drive from Chicago, exploring a very different Illinois|Carson Vaughan|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
The winner of the primary is likely to face Shawnee County district attorney Chad Taylor in November.
D-Day for Milton Wolf, Obama’s Tea Party Cousin, in Kansas Senate Primary|Ben Jacobs|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two miles from camp they were attacked by the Shawnee Indians, and one of them was killed.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

I had no love for Shawnee or Mingo, but my mind held room for something besides schemes for bloodletting.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
Cousin was fairly out of his head with the lust to kill the chief, but the Shawnee took no chances.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
The path was well worn, and the fork we followed ended at the Scioto above Chillicothe, the principal Shawnee town.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
Then for a climax a raft struck against the bank and a low voice speaking Shawnee gave some sharp orders.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter

British Dictionary definitions for Shawnee

Shawnee

/ (ʃɔːˈniː) /

noun

plural -nees or -nee a member of a North American Indian people formerly living along the Tennessee River

the language of this people, belonging to the Algonquian family

Word Origin for Shawnee

C20: back formation from obsolete Shawnese, from Shawnee Shaawanwaaki people of the south, from shaawanawa south

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