What does "apache" mean?
Any of several Athabascan-speaking peoples of the American southwest excluding Navajo, i.e., Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Plains Apache, or Western Apache.
Apache
/əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of several Athabascan-speaking peoples of the American southwest excluding Navajo, i.e., Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Plains Apache, or Western Apache.
- Grammar: apache is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: apache language, apache-based, apachean, asf-backed.
- Useful contrasts: closed-source, foreign, nonindigenous.
- Usage evidence: The Apache group were already dead when Damiano arrived.
How to use "apache"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "apache" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "apache" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "apache" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "apache" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "apache" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "apache language" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "apache", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several Athabascan-speaking peoples of the American southwest excluding Navajo, i.e., Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Plains Apache, or Western Apache.
"Away up at the sources of the Gila, where the pines and cedars stand and where creeks and valleys are found, is a part of the Apache land."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Apache, a Parisian gangster. alt-of
- 3 the language of the Apache wordnet
- 4 A person belonging to an Apache people.
- 5 a Parisian gangster wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A Parisian gangster of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. historical
"But the brain, and the agility, and the muscles that had coped with the mighty strength and cruel craftiness of Terkoz and Numa in the fastness of their savage jungle were not to be so easily subdued as these apaches of Paris had believed."
- 7 any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico); fought a losing battle from 1861 to 1886 with the United States and were resettled in Oklahoma wordnet
- 8 AH-64 Apache, a U.S. military helicopter.
Proper Noun
- 1 The group of languages used by any of several Athabascan-speaking peoples of the American southwest excluding Navajo, i.e. Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Plains Apache, or Western Apache.
- 2 A town in Oklahoma, United States. See Apache, Oklahoma.
- 3 Apache HTTP Server, a widely used open source web server software suite. informal
"This list is necessary so Apache can set the right HTTP headers when a certain file is requested."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The Apache group were already dead when Damiano arrived."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "apache"?
Common synonyms include: apache language, apache-based, apachean, asf-backed, assassin, butcher.
How do you use "apache" in a sentence?
The Apache group were already dead when Damiano arrived.
How do you pronounce "apache"?
Pronounced /əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/.
Etymology
From American Spanish apache, most likely from Zuni ʔa·paču (“Navajos”), or possibly from the Yavapai word ʔpačə, meaning "people". The web server software was named to honor the Apache people, although much has been made of the fact that its design was "patchy" (constructed by assembling software patches). See Apache HTTP Server § Name. The Parisian gangsters were named after the American tribe because of their aggressive reputation.