musquaw

musquaw · noun — the American black bear.

Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Etymology

From a Native American (probably Algonquian) word. Perhaps from Abenaki moskwas (“muskrat, musquash”). The use of a Native American word for one animal to designate a different animal was not uncommon; compare woodchuck (“groundhog”), from an Algonquian word for the fisher marten.

noun

The American black bear.

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

musquash 68% match — The muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus. vs musquaw →
bruin 59% match — A folk name for a bear, especially the brown bear, Ursus arctos. vs musquaw →
mushrat 58% match — muskrat vs musquaw →
mistonusk 57% match — The American badger. vs musquaw →
aswail 56% match — The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), an India bear. vs musquaw →
dubb 56% match — The Eurasian brown bear Ursus arctos syriacus. vs musquaw →
muskimoot 55% match — A woven bag traditionally used by certain tribes native to northeastern North America. vs musquaw →
kodiak 55% match — A Kodiak bear. vs musquaw →