Pawnee

noun

Paw·​nee pȯ-ˈnē How to pronounce Pawnee (audio)
pä-
plural Pawnee or Pawnees
: a member of an Indigenous people living in east-central Nebraska during the first half of the 19th century

Note: Current members of the Pawnee live as part of the federally recognized Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.

Examples of Pawnee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Amy Poehler stars as do-gooder Leslie Knope, a government worker who just wants to make her Indiana town of Pawnee better, just as Brunson’s character Janine Teagues wants to improve Willard R. Abbott Elementary School for all of her students. Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2024 Grayson worked for six different law enforcement agencies in Illinois since 2020, including the Pawnee, Kincaid, Virden and Auburn police departments, as well as the Logan County Sheriff's Office. Roxana Saberi, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2024 During his first year as an officer, Grayson bounced around three central Illinois police departments in Pawnee, Kincaid and Virden. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 30 July 2024 Before his employment in Logan County, Grayson worked simultaneous part-time jobs at police departments in Kincaid and Pawnee. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 29 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for Pawnee 

Word History

Etymology

of Siouan origin; akin to Osage ppáį Pawnee, Omaha ppáðį

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pawnee was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near Pawnee

Cite this Entry

“Pawnee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pawnee. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Pawnee

noun
Paw·​nee pȯ-ˈnē How to pronounce Pawnee (audio)
pä-
: a member of an Indigenous people originally of Nebraska and Kansas

More from Merriam-Webster on Pawnee

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