wanigan

[ won-i-guhn ]

noun

1. a lumberjack's trunk.
2. a lumber camp's supply chest.
3. a small house on wheels or tractor treads, used as an office or shelter in temporary lumber camps.
4. (especially in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest) a lean-to or other small addition built onto a house trailer, cabin, etc.

wanigan

/ ˈwɒnɪgən /

noun

1. a lumberjack's chest or box
2. a cabin, caboose or houseboat

Word History and Origins

Origin of wanigan¹

First recorded in 1840–50; from Ojibwe wa·nikka·n “pit,” derivative of wa·nikke·- “to dig a hole in the ground” from unattested Proto-Algonquian wa·θehke·- (unattested wa·θ- “hole” + -ehke·- “make”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wanigan¹

C19: from Algonquian

Example Sentences

And that wanigan wooden box he kept opening for supplies?

From New York Times

Come all you friends of the Red Gods and I will tell you a wonderful tale Of the time when all men were he-men who followed the Wanigan trail.

From Project Gutenberg

"Ordinarily on drive we have a wanigan," said Welton.

From Project Gutenberg

When night came the men rode down stream to where the wanigan had made camp.

From Project Gutenberg

Billy Camp began to worry about shooting the wanigan through the sluice-way.

From Project Gutenberg