adj · name · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɛs.kɪ.məʊ/
General-American:/ˈɛs.kɪ.moʊ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:EH1 S K AH0 M OW2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or relating to the Eskimo peoples.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: offensive, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
In, of, or relating to the Eskimo languages.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
Any of the languages of the Eskimo people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A member of a group of indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic, from Siberia, through Alaska and Northern Canada, to Greenland, including the Inuit and Yupik.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, offensive, sometimes
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: Inuk, Inuit, Yupik
5
noun
Meaning 5
A dog of the American Eskimo breed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A dog of the Canadian Eskimo breed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A team member of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos. (Obsolete as of 2020 with the team dropping this name in favour of Elks in 2021.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
the language spoken by the Eskimo
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Esquimau
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Eskimo-Aleut, Eskimo-Aleut language
9
noun
Meaning 9
a member of a people inhabiting the Arctic (northern Canada or Greenland or Alaska or eastern Siberia); the Algonquians called them Eskimo (`eaters of raw flesh') but they call themselves the Inuit (`the people')
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Esquimau, Inuit
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Indian, American Indian, Red Indian
History
Etymology
Attested since 1584, from French Esquimau, ultimately from an Old Montagnais term. Ives Goddard's theory, accepted by most linguists today, is that it derives from Montagnais ayaškimew (“snowshoe-netter”). An older theory, defended by John Steckley due to its greater acceptance in Native oral traditions, but discredited by linguists, is that it derives from a term meaning "eater(s) of raw meat". Details * The theory most accepted among linguists today is that it derives from ayaškimew (“snowshoe-netter”) (compare Montagnais assime·w (“she laces a snowshoe”), Ojibwe ashkime (“s/he nets snowshoes”)), a term applied to the Mi'kmaq and apparently later transferred to the Labrador Inuit. * An older theory derives it from a term meaning "eaters of raw meat"; compare Cree askamiciw (“s/he eats it raw”) (Inuit are referred to in some Cree texts as askipiw, "eats something raw"). John Steckley argues in favor of this theory because of its greater acceptance in native oral traditions, and because the Huron, historical allies and trading partners of the Montagnais who loan-translated many names, also denote the Inuit using terms (e.g. Lorette Huron ok8ch iechronnon, Wyandot ok8chtronnon, both including -ok8ch- "to be raw") meaning "people of the raw", "people who eat something raw". In 1978, Montagnais-speaking Quebec anthropologist Jose Mailhot alternatively suggested Eskimo meant "people who speak a different language", but Steckley considers her theory unlikely. The term may have entered English via Spanish esquimao, esquimal (used by Basque fishermen in Labrador).
Across languages
Translations
105 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Cantonese:
愛斯基摩 /爱斯基摩
(oi3 si1 gei1 mo1)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Chinese Mandarin:
愛斯基摩 /爱斯基摩
(Àisījīmó)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Chinese Mandarin:
埃斯基摩
(Āisījīmó)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Chinese Mandarin:
依士企摩
(Yīshìqǐmó, Yīshìqìmó)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Czech:
eskymácký
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Danish:
eskimoisk
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Dutch:
Eskimo-
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Finnish:
eskimo-
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Finnish:
eskimoiden
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
French:
esquimau
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
French:
eskimo
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
German:
Eskimo-
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Hindi:
एस्कीमो
(eskīmo)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Hungarian:
eszkimó
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Irish:
Eiscimeach
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Irish:
Eiscimise
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Italian:
eschimese
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Macedonian:
ескимски
(eskimski)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Norwegian Bokmål:
eskimoisk
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Norwegian Nynorsk:
eskimoisk
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Polish:
eskimoski
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Portuguese:
esquimó
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Romanian:
eschimos
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Russian:
эскимо́сский
(eskimósskij)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Spanish:
esquimal
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Swahili:
Kieskimo
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Ukrainian:
ескімо́ський
(eskimósʹkyj)
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Volapük:
läskiomanik
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Volapük:
hiläskiomanik
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Volapük:
jiläskiomanik
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Volapük:
leskimanik
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Volapük:
läskiomanapükik
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Volapük:
leskimanapükik
— of, or relating to an Eskimo, Eskimos or their language, languages
Chinese Mandarin:
愛斯基摩語 /爱斯基摩语
(Àisījīmóyǔ)
— language
Chinese Mandarin:
埃斯基摩語 /埃斯基摩语
(Āisījīmóyǔ)
— language
Chinese Mandarin:
依士企摩語 /依士企摩语
(Yīshìqǐmóyǔ, Yīshìqìmóyǔ)
— language
Czech:
eskymáčtina
— language
Dutch:
Eskimo
— language
Finnish:
eskimokieli
— language
French:
esquimau
— language
French:
eskimo
— language
German:
Eskimo
— language
Hindi:
एस्कीमो
(eskīmo)
— language
Hungarian:
eszkimó
— language
Irish:
Eiscimis
— language
Italian:
eschimese
— language
Japanese:
エスキモー語
(esukimō-go)
— language
Macedonian:
ескимски
(eskimski)
— language
Polish:
eskimoski
— language
Portuguese:
esquimó
— language
Romanian:
eschimosă
— language
Russian:
эскимо́сский язы́к
(eskimósskij jazýk)
— language
Spanish:
esquimal
— language
Swahili:
Kieskimo
— language
Turkish:
Eskimoca
— language
Ukrainian:
ескімо́ська
(eskimósʹka)
— language
Ukrainian:
ескімо́ська мо́ва
(eskimósʹka móva)
— language
Volapük:
läskiomanapük
— language
Volapük:
leskimanapük
— language
Armenian:
էսկիմոս
(ēskimos)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Catalan:
esquimal
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Chinese Cantonese:
愛斯基摩人 /爱斯基摩人
(oi3 si1 gei1 mo1 jan4)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Chinese Mandarin:
愛斯基摩人 /爱斯基摩人
(Àisījīmórén)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Chinese Mandarin:
埃斯基摩人
(Āisījīmórén)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Chinese Mandarin:
依士企摩人
(Yīshìqǐmórén, Yīshìqìmórén)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Chukchi:
айванаԓьын
(ajvanaḷʹyn)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Chukchi:
айван
(ajvan)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Czech:
Eskymák
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Danish:
eskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Danish:
inuit
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Dutch:
Eskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Finnish:
eskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
French:
Esquimau
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
French:
Eskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
German:
Eskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Greek:
Εσκιμώος
(Eskimóos)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Hindi:
एस्कीमो
(eskīmo)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Hungarian:
eszkimó
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Ingrian:
eskimosa
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Irish:
Eiscimeach
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Italian:
eschimese
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Japanese:
エスキモー
(Esukimō)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Korean:
에스키모
(eseukimo)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Macedonian:
Еским
(Eskim)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Macedonian:
Ескимка
(Eskimka)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Ojibwe:
eshkimoo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Ojibwe:
eshkiime
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Polish:
Eskimos
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Polish:
Eskimoska
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Portuguese:
esquimó
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Romanian:
eschimos
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Romanian:
eschimosă
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Russian:
эскимо́с
(eskimós)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Russian:
эскимо́ска
(eskimóska)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Slovak:
Eskimák
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Spanish:
esquimal
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Swahili:
Mweskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Swahili:
Waeskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Swedish:
eskimå
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Turkish:
Eskimo
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Ukrainian:
ескімо́с
(eskimós)
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Volapük:
läskioman
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Volapük:
hiläskioman
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Volapük:
jiläskioman
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
Volapük:
leskiman
— member of the Eskimo people(s)
