Nez Perce

Nez Perce

N0091100 (nĕz′ pûrs′, nĕs′) also Nez Per·cé (pər-sā′)n. pl. Nez Perce or Nez Per·ces (pûr′sĭz) also Nez Percé or Nez Per·cés (-sāz′) 1. A member of a Native American people formerly inhabiting the lower Snake River and its tributaries in western Idaho, northeast Oregon, and southeast Washington, with present-day populations in western Idaho and northeast Washington.2. The Sahaptian language of the Nez Perce.

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[French Nez-Percé : nez, nose + percé, past participle of percer, to pierce (on the model of Nez Perce cú·pn'itpel'u· : cú·pn'it, piercing + -pel'u·, people, from the nasal septum piercing practiced by the Nez Perce up to the early 1800s ).]

Nez Percé

(ˈnɛz ˈpɜːs; French ne pɛrse) npl Nez Percés (ˈpɜːsɪz; French pɛrse) or Nez Percé1. (Peoples) a member of a North American Indian people of the Pacific coast, a tribe of the Sahaptin2. (Languages) the Sahaptin language of this people[French, literally: pierced nose]

Nez Percé

(ˈnɛz ˈpɜrs)

n., pl. Nez Per•cés, (esp. collectively) Nez Percé. 1. a member of an American Indian people of the lower Snake and Salmon river regions in Idaho, SE Washington, and NE Oregon. 2. the language of the Nez Percé, akin to Sahaptin. [1805–15; < French: literally, pierced nose]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Nez Perce - a member of a tribe of the Shahaptian people living on the pacific coastSahaptin, Sahaptino, Shahaptian - a member of a North American Indian people who lived in Oregon along the Columbia river and its tributaries in Washington and northern Idaho
	2.	Nez Perce - the Shahaptian language spoken by the Nez PerceSahaptin, Shahaptian - a Penutian language spoken by the Shahaptian