moccasin

C2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈmɑkəsɪn/ UK /ˈmɒkəsɪn/ See IPA manual

Freq #69805

Meanings

1

noun
a traditional Indigenous North American soft leather shoe, made in varied regional styles from hide stitched around the foot

The museum displayed a beaded moccasin made by an Anishinaabe artist.
2

noun
a modern low, flexible shoe whose upper is constructed in a style resembling a traditional moccasin

He wore a brown leather moccasin with a hand-stitched toe seam.
3

noun
in names such as water moccasin, any of several North American pit vipers, especially the cottonmouth

The guide warned us that a water moccasin might be resting near the marsh edge.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a traditional indigenous... soft leather shoe

2 noun · a modern low, flexible shoe... moccasin-style shoe

3 noun · in names such as water... water moccasincottonmouth

Word family

Forms moccasins

Derived forms moccasined

Related forms loafer hidecottonmouthwater moccasin

Simplified etymology

Moccasin entered English in the early 17th century. Related forms occur in several North American Indigenous languages, but English probably borrowed it from Algonquian moccasin.

Etymology

Borrowed in the early seventeenth century from Powhatan makasin and related Algonquian words for a shoe; cognates occur across several Algonquian languages. English later extended the name to modern footwear of similar construction and to several snakes in regional compounds.

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

External links

# moccasin

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɑkəsɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɒkəsɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 69805

## Meanings
1. a traditional Indigenous North American soft leather shoe, made in varied regional styles from hide stitched around the foot
2. a modern low, flexible shoe whose upper is constructed in a style resembling a traditional moccasin
3. in names such as water moccasin, any of several North American pit vipers, especially the cottonmouth

## Examples
- The museum displayed a beaded moccasin made by an Anishinaabe artist.
- He wore a brown leather moccasin with a hand-stitched toe seam.
- The guide warned us that a water moccasin might be resting near the marsh edge.

## Synonyms
- soft leather shoe
- moccasin-style shoe

## Derived Forms
- moccasined

## Related Forms
- loafer
- hide
- cottonmouth
- water moccasin

## Etymology
Borrowed in the early seventeenth century from Powhatan makasin and related Algonquian words for a shoe; cognates occur across several Algonquian languages. English later extended the name to modern footwear of similar construction and to several snakes in regional compounds.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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