longhouse

noun

long·​house ˈlȯŋ-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce longhouse (audio)
-ˈhau̇s
: a long communal dwelling of some North American Indians (such as the Iroquois)

Examples of longhouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are two-bedroom chalets overlooking the lake; private one-room cabins; standard double rooms, some with king-size beds, some with bunk beds; suites in the main lodge; a longhouse with suites; and glamping tents available in the summer. Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2024 Though one facade of their building is thoroughly modern, the proportions of their doors and windows on the entry side are based on a historical longhouse design. Tom Downey, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023 The first people to make their mark on the lake were Native villagers who built longhouses near the lakeshore. Emily Wright, Washington Post, 16 June 2023 Schoolchildren liked to visit its reconstructed Indigenous longhouses. Emily Wright, Washington Post, 16 June 2023 Wilson Wewa, a longhouse leader and member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council, believes the psychological trauma, particularly regarding restricted funerals, has led to an increase in vandalism, break-ins, and violence within households. oregonlive, 17 May 2021 The totem pole, which was used as a longhouse entrance pole and then a grave post, was removed from a burial site and sold to the museum in 1913 for 45 Canadian dollars, according to museum records. Alaa Elassar, CNN, 19 Feb. 2023 The Three Sisters are eaten in the longhouse — the long, communal dwelling — at many of our Haudenosaunee ceremonies and festivals, including the O’rhotsheri (green bean), Okahsero:ta (green corn), Kanen’shon:a (seed) and Ka’khowanen (harvest) ceremonies. San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2020 On a port call in the village of Kasaan, for example, travelers visit a 19th-century Haida longhouse, said to be the last remaining structure of its kind in the United States. Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'longhouse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of longhouse was in 1643

Dictionary Entries Near longhouse

Cite this Entry

“Longhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longhouse. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

longhouse

noun
long·​house -ˌhau̇s How to pronounce longhouse (audio)
: a long dwelling especially of the Iroquois for several families

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