Powhatan

noun

Pow·​ha·​tan ˌpau̇-ə-ˈtan How to pronounce Powhatan (audio)
pau̇-ˈha-tᵊn
1
plural Powhatan or Powhatans : a member of a confederacy of Indigenous peoples of eastern Virginia
2
: the Algonquian language of the Powhatan people

Examples of Powhatan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes are remnants of the great Powhatan Confederacy that greeted the earliest English settlers. Andrew Sharp, Outdoor Life, 27 Nov. 2024 Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, a powerful chief who led a large group of tribes in the area of what is now Virginia where the Jamestown colonists settled in 1607. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 29 July 2024 Henrico has the Henrico Citizen. Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan have the Mechanicsville Local, the Gazette, and Powhatan Today, respectively — all extensions of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 Today in history On this day in 1614, Pocahontas, daughter of the chief Powhatan, married English tobacco farmer John Rolfe. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Powhatan was in 1608

Dictionary Entries Near Powhatan

Cite this Entry

“Powhatan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Powhatan. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Biographical Definition

Powhatan

biographical name

Pow·​ha·​tan ˌpau̇-ə-ˈtan How to pronounce Powhatan (audio)
pau̇-ˈha-tᵊn
1550?–1618 Wa-hun-sen-a-cawh or Wahunsonacock; father of Pocahontas American Indian chief

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