plural Chinook or Chinooks
1
: a member of an Indigenous people of the north shore of the Columbia River at its mouth
2
: a Chinookan language of the Chinook and other nearby peoples
3
or less commonly chinook
a
: a warm moist southwest wind of the coast from Oregon northward
b
: a warm dry wind that descends the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
4
5
: any of a rare breed of large, muscular dogs that were developed in New Hampshire in the early 1900s as sled and working dogs and have a yellow, reddish-yellow, or yellowish-brown coat and calm temperament
Among the dogs he [Arthur Treadwell Walden] used for breeding the Chinook were descendants of Admiral Peary's Greenland expedition huskies, along with mastiff-types.—
John Nolan
John NolanExamples of Chinook in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Restoring the North Yuba River Spring-run Chinook salmon returned to the cool waters of the North Yuba River first as eggs, fertilized at Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville and embedded in October in the river’s gravel, similar to how adult salmon spawn, according to a news release.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2025
For the first time in more 80 years, Chinook salmon are swimming in the North Yuba River in Northern California thanks to an innovative wildlife program.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Nutty, with hints of caramel, it is lifted by a trio of old-school hops – Cascade, Centennial and Chinook.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
The Biggest Salmon Chinook (or king) salmon are the largest of the world’s salmonids.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Chinook
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2025
For the first time in more 80 years, Chinook salmon are swimming in the North Yuba River in Northern California thanks to an innovative wildlife program.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Nutty, with hints of caramel, it is lifted by a trio of old-school hops – Cascade, Centennial and Chinook.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
The Biggest Salmon Chinook (or king) salmon are the largest of the world’s salmonids.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Chinook
Cite this Entry
“Chinook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chinook. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share