Acholi

noun

Acho·​li

variants or less commonly Acoli

ə-ˈchō-lē

plural Acholi or Acholis also Acoli or Acolis

1

a

: a nomadic pastoral people of northern Uganda

b

: a member of such people

2

: a Nilotic language of the Acholi people

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!