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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”

Words nearby watap

wasting, wasting asset, wastrel, Wast Water, wat, watap, Watauga, watch, watchable, watch and ward, watchband
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.

    The Young Voyageurs|Mayne Reid

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

    The Young Voyageurs|Mayne Reid

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

    The Young Voyageurs|Mayne Reid

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

    The Young Voyageurs|Mayne Reid

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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