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watap

[ wuh-tahp, wa- ]
/ wəˈtɑp, wæ- /
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noun
a thread made by North American Indians from the divided roots of certain conifers and used in weaving and sewing.
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Also wat·tap, wa·ta·pe [wuh-tah-pee, wa-]. /wəˈtɑ pi, wæ-/.

Origin of watap

First recorded in 1800–05; from Canadian French watap, from an Algonquian language, e.g., Ojibwe wadab or Narragansett wattap “tree root”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use watap in a sentence

  • Thus placed, they were all firmly lashed with strong cords of watap, by means of holes pierced in the bottom plank.

  • In a country, therefore, where hemp and flax cannot be readily procured, the “watap” is of great value.

  • These threads are as strong as the best cords of hemp, and are known among the Indians by the name of “watap.”

  • The watap, wet or dry, does not yield, and has therefore been found to be the best thing of all others for this purpose.

British Dictionary definitions for watap

watap
/ (wæˈtɑːp, wɑː-) /

noun
a stringy thread made by North American Indians from the roots of various conifers and used for weaving and sewing

Word Origin for watap

C18: from Canadian French, from Cree watapiy
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
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