Arawak

noun

Ar·​a·​wak ˈa-rə-ˌwäk 

-ˌwak, 

ˈer-ə-

plural Arawak or Arawaks

1

: a member of an Indigenous people of the Arawakan group now living chiefly along the coast of Guyana

2

: the language of the Arawak people

Examples of Arawak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Try the Savonet Museum, in Christoffel National Park, which delves into history as far back as the Arawak Indians settling in Curaçao, nearly 4,000 years ago. —Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026

The Spa by Guerlain is a haven of wellness and healing that draws inspiration from the Indigenous Arawak tribe. —Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026

Try their Arawak Body Balance treatment using local Moringa Leaf and alternating hot and cold temps for immune support, circulation, inflammation reduction, and relaxation. —Essence, 1 Aug. 2025

According to the local Arawak people, the site had once been a thriving village. —Ian Rose, JSTOR Daily, 23 July 2025

The Garifuna are an ethnocultural group descending from enslaved African people and indigenous tribes including the Arawak, Kalinago and Afro-Caribbean peoples who originated on the Caribbean islands and settled on the South American Caribbean coast. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025

Drawing inspiration from Anguilla’s Arawak tribe, the expansive new wellness center focuses on elements that are intrinsic to both the Caribbean and the Guerlain experience: water, salt, and botanicals. —Maya Layne, Vogue, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

earlier Arwaca, Aroaca, an Arawak subgroup of 16th century Trinidad, perhaps from an Arawak name for the subgroup

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Arawak

• aftershock
• antiknock
• hollyhock
• interlock
• isopach
• manioc
• shuttlecock
• tomahawk
• weathercock
• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock

Kids Definition

Arawak

noun

Ar·​a·​wak ˈar-ə-ˌwäk 

plural Arawak or Arawaks

: a member of an Indigenous people chiefly of Guyana