wigwam

American  

[wig-wom, -wawm] / ˈwɪg wɒm, -wɔm /

noun

1. a Native American dwelling, usually of rounded or oval shape, formed of poles overlaid with bark, mats, or skins.

2. the Wigwam. Tammany Hall.

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wigwam British  

/ ˈwɪɡˌwæm /

noun

1. any dwelling of the North American Indians, esp one made of bark, rushes, or skins spread over or enclosed by a set of arched poles lashed together Compare tepee

2. a similar structure for children

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Etymology

Origin of wigwam

An Americanism dating back to 1620–30; from Eastern Abenaki wìkəwαm “house,” from unattested Proto-Algonquian wi·kiwa·ʔmi; wickiup

Compare meaning

How does wigwam compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• wigwam vs. teepee

Example Sentences

“But they would never have built their wigwam right there on the edge of the beach, because it’s dangerous. It floods, it’s exposed to the winds.”

From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2022

He introduced American words, some of them derived from Native American languages: skunk, squash, wigwam, hickory, opossum, lengthy, and presidential, Congress, and caucus, which were not relevant in England’s monarchy.”

From Fox News • Apr. 14, 2020

First Baptist’s free-standing, 166-foot-high bell tower provided dramatic contrast to “Wiikiaami,” a 2017 wigwam of weathered metal panels and rebar, an homage to Indiana’s Maayami people by studio:indigenous.

From Washington Post • Nov. 21, 2017

Parents who want something more conventional than a wigwam but less predictable than a little cottage can find designs rooted in such surprising sources as J.R.R.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 7, 2015

On its broad limbs sat the wigwam Sam had made for Alice.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George