Nez Percé

noun

ˈnez-ˈpərs 

ˈnes-ˈpers,

 nonstandard  ˈnā-per-ˈsā

variants or Nez Perce

1

plural Nez Percé or Nez Percés ˈnez-ˈpərs 

ˈnes-ˈpers,

 nonstandard  ˈnā-per-ˈsā,

or

ˈnez-ˈpər-səz 

ˈnes-ˈper-səz;

 nonstandard  ˈnā-per-ˈsā(z)

or Nez Perce or Nez Perces ˈnez-ˈpərs 

ˈnes-ˈpers,

 nonstandard  ˈnā-per-ˈsā,

or

ˈnez-ˈpər-səz 

ˈnes-ˈper-səz;

 nonstandard  ˈnā-per-ˈsā(z)

: a member of an Indigenous people originally of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon

Note: Current-day members of the tribe live on the Nez Percé Reservation in Idaho.

2

: the language of the Nez Percé people

Examples of Nez Percé in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1994, the Nez Perce Tribe began restoring the fishery with the aid of hatcheries. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Oct. 2023

Under long-standing requirements, the fish produced at these hatcheries are sent to Idaho, Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe, with none set aside specifically for the Upper Snake River tribes that Hauser represents. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023

The latest chapter in the legal saga began when the Nez Perce Tribe, along with the state of Oregon and a coalition of conservation groups led by Earthjustice, sued the Trump administration over a 2020 plan released by federal agencies for managing dams and protecting salmon. —oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023

Becky Johnson, production director of the Nez Perce Tribe’s Department of Fisheries Resources Management, said momentum is building toward pursuing more aggressive actions. —oregonlive, 27 Aug. 2023

That Umatilla, Warm Springs, Yakama and Nez Perce do not have treaty rights at the falls, or anywhere on the Columbia River downstream of Bonneville Dam. —oregonlive, 9 Aug. 2023

The Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho, on the other hand, will immerse you in rugged the wilderness. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 July 2023

Shannon Wheeler, then-vice chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe (and now chairman), discussed the need to use energy as efficiently as possible — and to generate as much energy locally as possible. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2023

Some residents have experienced hunters shooting near their homes, and in January, Jackson Wak Wak, a hunter from the Nez Perce Tribe, was hit by shrapnel from a stray bullet while exercising his treaty hunting rights. —Alex Chun, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

French, literally, pierced nose

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Nez Percé

noun

variants or Nez Perce

ˈnez-ˈpərs  ˈnes-ˈpe(ə)rs 

 French  nā-per-sā

plural Nez Percé or Nez Percés or Nez Perce or Nez Perces

: a member of an American Indian people of central Idaho and neighboring parts of Washington and Oregon

Etymology

French, literally "pierced nose"