Kiowa

noun

1
plural Kiowa or Kiowas : a member of an Indigenous people of the southern Great Plains

Note: Modern-day members live as the federally recognized Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

2
: the language of the Kiowa people

Examples of Kiowa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
He is joined on this journey by his new deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon). Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025 Should Leaphorn and his partner, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), prepare for a worst-case outcome? Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025 Once again, Dark Winds is combining the plots of multiple Tony Hillerman novels featuring some combination of Leaphorn, his partner Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), and his protégé Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) — this time, Dance Hall of the Dead and Sinister Pig. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2025 The TVLine Spotlight shined on the cast of Dark Winds when Zahn McClarnon, Deanna Allison, Jessica Matten and Kiowa Gordon stopped by PMC’s New York ground floor studio on a rainy Wednesday night for a cozy Q&A before an audience of fans. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Kiowa

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Kiowa kɔ́ygú, a self-designation

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Kiowa was in 1808

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kiowa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kiowa. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

Kiowa

noun
Ki·​o·​wa ˈkī-ə-ˌwȯ How to pronounce Kiowa (audio) -ˌwä How to pronounce Kiowa (audio)
plural Kiowa or Kiowas
: a member of an Indigenous people of what are now Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

More from Merriam-Webster on Kiowa

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