Cheyenne

noun

Chey·​enne shī-ˈan How to pronounce Cheyenne (audio) -ˈen How to pronounce Cheyenne (audio)
1
plural Cheyenne or Cheyennes : a member of a nation of Algonquian-speaking Indigenous peoples of the western Great Plains of the U.S.

Note: The Cheyenne divided into northern and southern branches in the 1830s, with the Southern Cheyenne uniting with the Southern Arapaho tribe to form the federally recognized Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Nations.

2
: the Algonquian language of the Cheyenne people

Word History

Etymology

American French, from Dakota šahíyena

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Cheyenne was in 1778

Dictionary Entries Near Cheyenne

Cite this Entry

“Cheyenne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Cheyenne. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Cheyenne

noun
Chey·​enne shī-ˈan How to pronounce Cheyenne (audio)
-ˈen
plural Cheyenne or Cheyennes
: a member of an American Indian people of the western plains of the U.S.

Geographical Definition

Cheyenne

geographical name

Chey·​enne shī-ˈan How to pronounce Cheyenne (audio)
-ˈen
1
river 527 miles (850 kilometers) long in South Dakota flowing northeast into the Missouri River
2
city in southeastern Wyoming, the state capital population 59,466

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