Chumash

noun

Chu·​mash ˈchü-ˌmash 

1

plural Chumash : a member of an Indigenous people of southwestern California

2

: the family of languages spoken by the Chumash people

Examples of Chumash in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The island also contains many culturally significant sites for the Chumash people. — Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

There’s also a long history of humans on the island, covering about 10,000 years and involving both the Chumash and Tongva peoples. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026

However, until it can be established by either fossil evidence or genetic variation that the trees were here before the Chumash, this possibility cannot be discounted. — Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026

More recently, Indigenous peoples such as the Chumash and the Yokuts used asphalt to make face paint, game pieces, glue, and waterproofing caulk for boats and baskets. — Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from Tcú-mac, name in a coastal Chumash language for the inhabitants of Santa Rosa Island

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Chumash

• backlash
• eyelash
• moustache
• mustache
• noncash
• potash
• rehash
• whiplash
• ash
• bash
• brash
• cache