Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wigwam

/ˈwɪɡwɑːm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.28 in modern English

Syllables: wig-wam
IPA: /ˈwɪɡwɑːm/

15

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A dwelling having an arched framework overlaid with bark, hides, or mats, used by Native Americans in the northeastern United States.

noun

Any more or less similar dwelling used by indigenous people in other parts of the world.

Dated

verb

To dry (flax or straw) by standing it outside in the shape of a wigwam.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"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: [...]"
"The Fuegian wigwam resembles, in size and dimensions, a haycock. It merely consists of a few broken branches stuck in the ground, and very imperfectly thatched on one side with a few tufts of grass and rushes."

Etymology

Borrowed from Abenaki wigwôm (“house”) or Penobscot wigwom (“house”), from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·ʔmi (“house”). Doublet of wickiup.

Word Breakdown

Root: wigwom, *wi·kiwa·ʔmi

Usage

Inflected Forms

wigwams (plural) wigwams (present, singular) wigwamming (participle, present) wigwammed (participle, past) wigwammed (past)

Phrases

wigwam burner wigwam for a goose's bridle

Frequently Paired Words

hogan igloo teepee tupik wetu wickiup

Questions

How do you pronounce wigwam?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɪɡwɑːm/.
What does wigwam mean?: A dwelling having an arched framework overlaid with bark, hides, or mats, used by Native Americans in the northeastern United States.
Where does wigwam come from?: Borrowed from Abenaki wigwôm (“house”) or Penobscot wigwom (“house”), from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·ʔmi (“house”). Doublet of wickiup.

How to pronounce wigwam

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “wigwam”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈwɪɡwɑːm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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