Catawba

noun

Ca·​taw·​ba kə-ˈtȯ-bə How to pronounce Catawba (audio)
1
plural Catawba or Catawbas : a member of a nation of Indigenous peoples of North Carolina and South Carolina
2
: the language of the Catawba people
3
plural Catawbas : any of various wines produced from a pale red native American grape
In a letter dated December 29, 1964, Ernest Reveal at Widmer's Wine Cellars informed Wagner that Catawbas were already in short supply due to the popularity of Charles Fournier's Pink Catawba wine …Hudson Cattell

Word History

Etymology

probably ultimately from Catawba (Spanish spelling) Catapa, Cataba, name of a 16th century Catawba town

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Catawba was in 1715

Dictionary Entries Near Catawba

Cite this Entry

“Catawba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Catawba. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Catawba

geographical name

Ca·​taw·​ba kə-ˈtȯ-bə How to pronounce Catawba (audio)
river 250 miles (402 kilometers) long flowing south from western North Carolina into South Carolina see wateree

More from Merriam-Webster on Catawba

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!