First Known Use: 1584
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Eskimo
noun Es·ki·mo \ˈes-kə-ˌmō\
Definition of ESKIMO
1
plural Eskimo or Eskimos : a member of a group of peoples of northern Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and eastern Siberia
2
: any of the languages of the Eskimo peoples
— Es·ki·mo·an \ˌes-kə-ˈmō-ən\ adjective
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Origin of ESKIMO
obsolete Esquimawe, probably from Spanish esquimao, from Montagnais (Algonquian language of eastern Canada) aiachkime8 Micmac, Eskimo; probably akin to modern Montagnais assime·w she laces a snowshoe, Ojibwa aškime·
ESKIMO Defined for Kids
Eskimo
noun Es·ki·mo \ˈe-skə-ˌmō\
plural Es·ki·mos
Definition of ESKIMO for Kids
: a member of a group of peoples of Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, and eastern Siberia Hint:In the past, this word was not considered offensive. Some people, however, now prefer Inuit.
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