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Definition of spokane
spokane
/spoʊˈkæn/
Spo · kane
Plural:Spokanes
spokane Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
American A major city located in eastern Washington state, USA, situated along the Spokane River and serving as the primary cultural and economic hub of the Inland Northwest.
Example
"We spent a weekend exploring the parks and waterfalls right in the center of downtown Spokane."
2
North American A Native American people historically inhabiting the eastern part of Washington state and parts of northern Idaho.
Example
"The history and culture of the Spokane are deeply intertwined with the river systems of the Pacific Northwest."
• Rhymes for spokane
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Salishan language word 'Spokan', meaning 'children of the sun', which is the historical name of the indigenous people native to the region.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Spokane. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/spokane