What does "roanoke" mean?
White beads of low value made from shells, formerly used for ornaments and currency by Native Americans of colonial Virginia.
Roanoke
/ˈɹoʊənoʊk/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: White beads of low value made from shells, formerly used for ornaments and currency by Native Americans of colonial Virginia.
- Grammar: roanoke is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: area, city, colony, geographic region.
- Useful contrasts: city, countryside, rural area.
- Usage evidence: Cuscarawaoke, where is made so much Rawranoke or white beads that occasion as much dissention among the savages, as gold and silver amongst Christians […]
How to use "roanoke"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "roanoke" 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 "roanoke" 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 "roanoke" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "roanoke" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
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.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "roanoke" 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 "area" 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
Before publishing a sentence with "roanoke", 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 White beads of low value made from shells, formerly used for ornaments and currency by Native Americans of colonial Virginia. US, historical, uncountable
"Cuscarawaoke, where is made so much Rawranoke or white beads that occasion as much dissention among the savages, as gold and silver amongst Christians […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A placename:; Ellipsis of Roanoke Colony: a failed late 16th century English former colony on what is now the coast of North Carolina in the United States. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"These first English migrants to Jamestown endured terrible disease and arrived during a period of drought and colder-than-normal winters. The migrants to Roanoke on the outer banks of Carolina, where the English had gone in the 1580s, disappeared. And a brief effort to settle the coast of Maine in 1607 and 1608 failed because of an unusually bitter winter."
- 2 A placename:; Ellipsis of Roanoke County abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 3 A placename:; Ellipsis of Roanoke Island abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 4 A placename:; A place in the United States; A city in Randolph County, Alabama, United States.
- 5 A placename:; A place in the United States; A village in Woodford County, Illinois, United States.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A placename:; A place in the United States; A town in Huntington County, Indiana, United States.
- 7 A placename:; A place in the United States; An unincorporated community in Howard County and Randolph County, Missouri, United States.
- 8 A placename:; A place in the United States; A city in Denton County, Texas, United States.
- 9 A placename:; A place in the United States; An independent city in Virginia, United States.
- 10 A placename:; A place in the United States; An unincorporated community in Lewis County, West Virginia, United States.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Cuscarawaoke, where is made so much Rawranoke or white beads that occasion as much dissention among the savages, as gold and silver amongst Christians […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "roanoke"?
Common synonyms include: area, city, colony, geographic region, metropolis, municipality.
How do you use "roanoke" in a sentence?
Cuscarawaoke, where is made so much Rawranoke or white beads that occasion as much dissention among the savages, as gold and silver amongst Christians […]
How do you pronounce "roanoke"?
Pronounced /ˈɹoʊənoʊk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Powhatan rawrenock (“things rubbed smooth by hand”).
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Powhatan rawrenock (“roanoke”, literally “things rubbed smooth by hand”).