Ottawa

noun

Ot·​ta·​wa ˈä-tə-wə How to pronounce Ottawa (audio)
-ˌwä,
-ˌwȯ
variants or Odawa
plural Ottawas or Ottawa or Odawas or Odawa
: a member of an Indigenous people of Michigan and southern Ontario

Word History

Etymology

French Outaoua, from Ojibwa (eastern dialect) ota·wa·

First Known Use

circa 1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ottawa was circa 1665

Dictionary Entries Near Ottawa

Cite this Entry

“Ottawa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ottawa. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Ottawa

geographical name

Ot·​ta·​wa ˈä-tə-wə How to pronounce Ottawa (audio)
-ˌwä,
-ˌwȯ
1
river 696 miles (1120 kilometers) long in southeastern Ontario and southern Quebec, Canada, flowing east into the Saint Lawrence River
2
city and capital of Canada in southeastern Ontario on the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal population 812,129

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