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Definition of santiam
santiam
/ˌsæn.tiˈæm/
San · ti · am
Plural:Santiams
santiam Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American A river in western Oregon, United States, that flows west from the Cascade Range to join the Willamette River.
2
North American A member of a Native American tribe of the Kalapuyan family who historically inhabited the areas along the banks of the Santiam River in Oregon.
Example
"The Santiam were moved to the Grand Ronde Reservation following the treaties of the 1850s."
• Rhymes for santiam
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the name of the Santiam band of the Kalapuya, a Native American people who historically inhabited the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Santiam. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/santiam