Wigwam
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A dwelling having an arched framework overlaid with bark, hides, or mats, used by Native Americans in the northeastern United States.
- 2 a Native American lodge frequently having an oval shape and covered with bark or hides wordnet
- 3 Any more or less similar dwelling used by indigenous people in other parts of the world. dated, possibly
"Their houſes or wigwams, which they call carbets, are built as I have already deſcribed thoſe of the negroes; but inſtead of being covered with the leaves of the manicole-tree, they are covered with the leaves of rattans or jointed canes, here called tas, which grow in cluſters in all marſhy places: [...]"
- 1 To dry (flax or straw) by standing it outside in the shape of a wigwam. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"Their houſes or wigwams, which they call carbets, are built as I have already deſcribed thoſe of the negroes; but inſtead of being covered with the leaves of the manicole-tree, they are covered with the leaves of rattans or jointed canes, here called tas, which grow in cluſters in all marſhy places: [...]"
Etymology
Borrowed from Abenaki wigwôm (“house”) or Penobscot wigwom (“house”), from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·ʔmi (“house”). Doublet of wickiup.
Related phrases
More for "wigwam"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.