cree
cree Lexical Profile
cree Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A member of a major Indigenous North American people inhabiting a vast area from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean across Canada and the northern United States.
"Many Cree lived as woodland hunters and trappers around Hudson Bay, while others adapted to life on the Great Plains."
The Algonquian language spoken by the Cree people, which constitutes a dialect continuum across much of Canada.
"Cree is one of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages in North America and utilizes a distinctive syllabic writing system."
• adjective
Relating to the Cree people, their culture, or their Algonquian language.
"The museum recently opened an exhibition showcasing traditional Cree beadwork and storytelling."
• verb
Scottish To soften or hull grain such as wheat, barley, or rice by soaking or boiling it in water.
"She left the barley to cree in a pot of warm water by the hearth overnight."
• Rhymes for cree
Word Origin & Etymology
The ethnolinguistic term is shortened from Canadian French Kristenaux, an adaptation of an Ojibwa name for a band living near James Bay. The Scottish and Northern English culinary verb derives from Middle English creym, likely from Old French crever meaning 'to burst'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.