Powhatan
noun
Pow·ha·tan
ˌpau̇-ə-ˈtan 
pau̇-ˈha-tᵊn
1
plural Powhatan or Powhatans
: a member of a confederacy of Indigenous peoples of eastern Virginia
2
: the Algonquian language of the Powhatan people
Examples of Powhatan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes are remnants of the great Powhatan Confederacy that greeted the earliest English settlers.
—
Andrew Sharp, Outdoor Life, 27 Nov. 2024
Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, a powerful chief who led a large group of tribes in the area of what is now Virginia where the Jamestown colonists settled in 1607.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 29 July 2024
Henrico has the Henrico Citizen. Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan have the Mechanicsville Local, the Gazette, and Powhatan Today, respectively — all extensions of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
—Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
Today in history On this day in 1614, Pocahontas, daughter of the chief Powhatan, married English tobacco farmer John Rolfe.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
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Andrew Sharp, Outdoor Life, 27 Nov. 2024
Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, a powerful chief who led a large group of tribes in the area of what is now Virginia where the Jamestown colonists settled in 1607.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 29 July 2024
Henrico has the Henrico Citizen. Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan have the Mechanicsville Local, the Gazette, and Powhatan Today, respectively — all extensions of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
—Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
Today in history On this day in 1614, Pocahontas, daughter of the chief Powhatan, married English tobacco farmer John Rolfe.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near Powhatan
Cite this Entry
“Powhatan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Powhatan. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationBiographical Definition
Powhatan
biographical name
Pow·ha·tan
ˌpau̇-ə-ˈtan
pau̇-ˈha-tᵊn
1550?–1618 Wa-hun-sen-a-cawh or Wahunsonacock; father of Pocahontas American Indian chief
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