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Definition of cuyahoga

cuyahoga

/ˌkaɪ.əˈhoʊ.ɡə/
Cu · ya · ho · ga

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cuyahoga Lexical Profile

• noun

1

American A winding river in Northeast Ohio, United States, that flows into Lake Erie; it is historically famous for catching fire in 1969 due to severe industrial pollution, an event that became a major catalyst for the modern American environmental movement and the Clean Water Act.


2

American A populous county in northeastern Ohio that encompasses the city of Cleveland, named after the river that flows through its territory.

Example

"The local government of Cuyahoga County announced a new public transit initiative to better connect the suburbs to downtown Cleveland."

• Rhymes for cuyahoga

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from an Iroquoian Native American word, frequently translated as 'crooked river' or 'place of the jawbone,' referring to the winding, U-shaped path of the river in northeastern Ohio.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cuyahoga. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cuyahoga
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