shenandoah
shenandoah Lexical Profile
• noun
American A broad geographic valley and cultural region in western Virginia and West Virginia, bounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to the west.
"Early pioneers traveled south through the Shenandoah seeking fertile farmland."
American A river flowing through the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia, serving as a principal tributary of the Potomac River.
"We spent the afternoon canoeing down the Shenandoah and admiring the forested banks."
American A traditional American folk song and sea shanty that likely originated with early 19th-century river boatmen or voyageurs.
"The choir concluded their performance with a haunting, slow rendition of Shenandoah."
• Rhymes for shenandoah
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from an Algonquian Native American language. It is traditionally and romantically translated as 'Daughter of the Stars,' though linguistic historians suggest it may originally mean 'deer' or 'spruce stream,' or be named after the Oneida chief Skenandoa.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.