Eskimo
Syllables: Es·kimo/ˈɛs.kɪ.məʊ/US/ˈɛs.kɪ.moʊ/
Eskimo noun: a member of a group of indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic, from Siberia, through Alaska and Northern Canada, to Greenland, including the Inuit and Yupik.
Noun
Eskimo (plural Eskimo or Eskimos or Eskimoes)
- A member of a group of indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic, from Siberia, through Alaska and Northern Canada, to Greenland, including the Inuit and Yupik.
- A dog of the American Eskimo breed.
- Yet many pure-bred, if unregistered, Eskimos are still kept along the Canadian border for use in sled racing.1958, Henry P. Davis, The Modern Dog Encyclopedia, page 292
- A dog of the Canadian Eskimo breed.
- A team member of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos. (Obsolete as of 2020 with the team dropping this name in favour of Elks in 2021.)
Proper noun
Eskimo
- Any of the languages of the Eskimo people.
Adjective
Eskimo (comparative more Eskimo, superlative most Eskimo)
- Of or relating to the Eskimo peoples.
- In, of, or relating to the Eskimo languages.
Eskimo meaning in Hindi, Gujarati and Pashto
Eskimo in Hindi
- member of the Eskimo people(s)
- एस्कीमो eskīmo
- language
- एस्कीमो eskīmo
- of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
- एस्कीमो eskīmo
Eskimo in Gujarati
- Eskimo
- એસ્કિમો eskimo
Eskimo in Pashto
- Eskimo
- اسکيمو askimo
Forms of Eskimo
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | Eskimo |
| plural | Eskimos |
| plural | Eskimoes |
| alternative form | Eskimau |
| alternative form | Esquimau |
| alternative form | Esquimaux |
| alternative form | Esquimo |
| Adjective | |
| comparative | more Eskimo |
| superlative | most Eskimo |
Origin of Eskimo
Attested since 1584, from French Esquimau, ultimately from an Old Montagnais term. Ives Goddard's theory, accepted by most linguists today, is that it derives from Montagnais ayaškimew (“snowshoe-netter”). An older theory, defended by John Steckley due to its greater acceptance in Native oral traditions, but discredited by linguists, is that it derives from a term meaning "eater(s) of raw meat". Details * The theory most accepted among linguists today is that it derives from ayaškimew (“snowshoe-netter”) (compare Montagnais assime·w (“she laces a snowshoe”), Ojibwe ashkime (“s/he nets snowshoes”)), a term applied to the Mi'kmaq and apparently later transferred to the Labrador Inuit. * An older theory derives it from a term meaning "eaters of raw meat"; compare Cree askamiciw (“s/he eats it raw”) (Inuit are referred to in some Cree texts as askipiw, "eats something raw"). John Steckley argues in favor of this theory because of its greater acceptance in native oral traditions, and because the Huron, historical allies and trading partners of the Montagnais who loan-translated many names, also denote the Inuit using terms (e.g. Lorette Huron ok8ch iechronnon, Wyandot ok8chtronnon...
Words formed from Eskimo
- American Eskimo Dog
- baskimo
- Canadian Eskimo Dog
- Caribou Eskimo
- Eskaleut
- Eskaleutian
- Eskaleutic
- Eskibeat
- Eskie
- Eskimo-Aleut
- Eskimoan
- Eskimo boot
- Eskimo brothers
- Eskimo curlew
- Eskimo dog
- Eskimoic
- Eskimoid
- eskimoite
- Eskimoized
- Eskimo kiss
- Eskimological
- Eskimologist
- Eskimology
- Eskimo Nebula
- Eskimoness
- Eskimo pie
- Eskimo Point
- Eskimo potato
- Eskimo roll
- Greenlandic Eskimo Pidgin
- Paleo-Eskimo
- Proto-Eskimo
- red-headed Eskimo
- sell freezers to Eskimos
- sell ice to Eskimos
- sell snow to Eskimos
- 'skimo
- West Alaska Eskimo
Phrases with Eskimo
Questions about Eskimo
- What does Eskimo mean?
- Eskimo means a member of a group of indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic, from Siberia, through Alaska and Northern Canada, to Greenland, including the Inuit and Yupik.
- What is Eskimo in Hindi?
- Eskimo in Hindi is एस्कीमो (eskīmo). See Eskimo meaning in Hindi.
- What part of speech is Eskimo?
- Eskimo can be a noun, a proper noun or an adjective.
- How do you pronounce Eskimo?
- Eskimo is pronounced /ˈɛs.kɪ.məʊ/ (UK).
- What is the plural of Eskimo?
- The plural of Eskimo is Eskimo.
Words near Eskimo in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: Eskimo (page history and authors); એસ્કિમો (Gujarati) (page history and authors); اسکيمو (Pashto) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Eskimo.wav.
Cite this entry: “Eskimo.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/eskimo. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.