Blackfoot

noun

Black·​foot ˈblak-ˌfu̇t How to pronounce Blackfoot (audio)
1
plural Blackfeet or Blackfoot : a member of an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people of Montana, Alberta, and Saskatchewan

Note: Tribe members in the U.S. are officially recognized as the Blackfeet Nation, while the Blackfoot Confederacy is the name given to the group of tribes spanning both the U.S. and Canada. Consequently, many tribe members recognize a distinction in the plural nouns used for tribe members. Some members of the Confederacy regard Blackfeet as an improper Anglicization and use Blackfoot as the plural, particularly within Canada.

2
: the Algonquian language of the Blackfoot people

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Blackfoot was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near Blackfoot

Cite this Entry

“Blackfoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Blackfoot. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Blackfoot

noun
Black·​foot -ˌfu̇t How to pronounce Blackfoot (audio)
plural Blackfeet
-ˌfēt
or Blackfoot
: a member of an Indigenous people of Montana, Alberta, and Saskatchewan

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