Chinook

noun

Chi·​nook shə-ˈnu̇k  -ˈnük 

chə-

plural Chinook or Chinooks

1

: a member of an Indigenous people of the north shore of the Columbia River at its mouth

2

: a Chinookan language of the Chinook and other nearby peoples

3

or less commonly chinook

a

: a warm moist southwest wind of the coast from Oregon northward

b

: a warm dry wind that descends the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains

4

or less commonly chinook plural chinook also chinooks : chinook salmon

5

: any of a rare breed of large, muscular dogs that were developed in New Hampshire in the early 1900s as sled and working dogs and have a yellow, reddish-yellow, or yellowish-brown coat and calm temperament

Among the dogs he [Arthur Treadwell Walden] used for breeding the Chinook were descendants of Admiral Peary's Greenland expedition huskies, along with mastiff-types.

—John Nolan

Examples of Chinook in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As a simple comparison, the C-27 Spartan transport plane carries the same amount of cargo as the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, but flies twice as fast for four times the distance. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 2 June 2026

More than two dozen agencies have been helping in the search, including the National Guard, which deployed a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to the area. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 2 June 2026

Fishers with valid licenses can cast a line on the banks for steelhead and Chinook salmon, though only catch-and-release fishing is permitted within the state park. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026

Wild California King salmon, also known as Chinook, is the largest of the Pacific salmon, and one of the most desirable varieties. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Lower Chehalis (Salishan language of western Washington) c̓inúk, name of a Chinook village

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Chinook

• Chinook Jargon
• Chinook salmon

Rhymes for Chinook

• betook
• casebook
• chapbook
• checkbook
• codebook
• cookbook
• fishhook
• forsook
• guidebook
• handbook
• logbook
• mistook

Kids Definition

Chinook

noun

Chi·​nook shə-ˈnu̇k  chə- 

plural Chinook or Chinooks

: a member of an Indigenous people of Oregon

also : their language