What does "catawba" mean?
A member of a Native American people who inhabit the Carolinas: the Iswa.
Catawba
/kəˈtɔː.bə/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of a Native American people who inhabit the Carolinas: the Iswa.
- Grammar: catawba is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: berry, catawba indians, catawba language, catawba nation.
- Useful contrasts: foreign.
- Usage evidence: There was a Catawba brave who took some pottery [to another tribe] to trade for bows and arrows. This chief [of the other tribe] had a beautiful daughter, and the Catawba brave fell in love with her, and she likewise fell in love with him. When the Catawba brave left, she asked her father for a bow and arrow. She shot it in the air in the direction the brave went, and then she went to get it. She kept shooting it in the air until she caught up with him.
How to use "catawba"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "catawba" 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 "catawba" 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 "catawba" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- 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.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "catawba" is acting as name, noun 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 "berry" 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.
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Final meaning check
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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 A member of a Native American people who inhabit the Carolinas: the Iswa.
"There was a Catawba brave who took some pottery [to another tribe] to trade for bows and arrows. This chief [of the other tribe] had a beautiful daughter, and the Catawba brave fell in love with her, and she likewise fell in love with him. When the Catawba brave left, she asked her father for a bow and arrow. She shot it in the air in the direction the brave went, and then she went to get it. She kept shooting it in the air until she caught up with him."
- 2 The catawba grape, a cultivar of North American Vitis labrusca.
- 3 the Siouan language spoken by the Catawba wordnet
- 4 A red American dessert grape variety.
"The basic material for sherry is a mixture or a blend of dry wines from Niagaras, Delawares, and Catawbas or other white juices, which are sweetened and fortified and then blended with California sherry."
- 5 A light sparkling wine made from this kind of grape.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 slipskin grape; a reddish American table grape wordnet
- 7 Any of various species of America catalpa trees Catalpa especially (Catalpa bignonioides (southern catalpa) or Catalpa speciosa (northern catalpa).
- 8 a member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Carolinas wordnet
- 9 The catawba rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense).
Proper Noun
- 1 The language of the Eastern Siouan family spoken in eastern United States.
- 2 A river in North Carolina and South Carolina, United States.
"Cornwallis finally moved after Morgan's men. Left behind to cover the fords and delay the British, North Carolina general William Lee Davidson and a few men were killed as the British poured across Cowan's Ford. Once the British crossed the Catawba, the Americans had to get past another river, the Yadkin beyond Salisbury."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"There was a Catawba brave who took some pottery [to another tribe] to trade for bows and arrows. This chief [of the other tribe] had a beautiful daughter, and the Catawba brave fell in love with her, and she likewise fell in love with him. When the Catawba brave left, she asked her father for a bow and arrow. She shot it in the air in the direction the brave went, and then she went to get it. She kept shooting it in the air until she caught up with him."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "catawba"?
Common synonyms include: berry, catawba indians, catawba language, catawba nation, catawban, catawban language.
How do you use "catawba" in a sentence?
There was a Catawba brave who took some pottery [to another tribe] to trade for bows and arrows. This chief [of the other tribe] had a beautiful daughter, and the Catawba brave fell in love with her, and she likewise fell in love with him. When the Catawba brave left, she asked her father for a bow and arrow. She shot it in the air in the direction the brave went, and then she went to get it. She kept shooting it in the air until she caught up with him.
How do you pronounce "catawba"?
Pronounced /kəˈtɔː.bə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From the noun catawba, as the tree was the people's totem.
Etymology 2
From Catawba catawba (“catalpa tree”). See also catalpa.