Chinook

[shi-nook, -nook, chi-]

noun

plural

Chinooks ,

plural

Chinook .

1. a member of a formerly numerous North American Indian people originally inhabiting the northern shore of the mouth of the Columbia River and the adjacent territory.

2. either of the two languages of the Chinook Indians.

3. (lowercase),  a warm, dry wind that blows at intervals down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

4. (lowercase),  chinook salmon.

5. a U.S. Army cargo helicopter in service since 1962 and capable of ferrying 12 tons of supplies and troops.

Chinook

¹

/ -ˈnʊk, tʃɪˈnuːk /

noun

1. a Native American people of the Pacific coast near the Columbia River

2. the language of this people, probably forming a separate branch of the Penutian phylum

chinook

²

/ -ˈnʊk, tʃɪˈnuːk /

noun

1. Also called: snow eater. a warm dry southwesterly wind blowing down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains

2. Also called: wet chinook. a warm moist wind blowing onto the Washington and Oregon coasts from the sea

chinook

1. A moist, warm wind blowing from the sea in coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest.

2. A warm, dry wind descending from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, causing a rapid rise in temperature. These winds often melt snow quite rapidly, at times at a rate of up to a foot per hour.

3. See also foehn

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chinook¹

C19: from Salish c`inuk

Example Sentences

“His presence in Polar Bear Plunge helped foster bonds with his sister and Chinook, another orphaned female polar bear,” zoo officials said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Retired Squadron Leader Robert Burke said the Mark 2 version of the Chinook had been chosen to demonstrate to the Army that a recent upgrade from the Mark 1 version was safe.

From BBC

The sister of a man who was killed when an RAF Chinook helicopter crashed in 1994 said he would want her to get to the truth of his death.

From BBC

He vowed that the families, , who have formed the Chinook Justice Campaign, would "see the UK government in court".

From BBC

This year, populations of Chinook salmon were so low that regulators shut down the commercial fishing season along the coast for a third straight year, though limited recreational fishing was allowed.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cyclone 
• hurricane 
• monsoon 
• squall 
• tornado 
• wind 
• windstorm