Metis
WordNet
noun
(1) A half-breed of white and American Indian parentage
WiktionaryText
Etymology 1
< < . originally referred to Francophone and Cree-speaking descendants of the French-Catholic Red River Métis in Manitoba. Compare .
Proper noun
- One of three recognized Aboriginal peoples of Canada, descendants of marriages of Cree, Ojibwa, Saulteaux, and Menominee Aboriginal people with French Canadians, Scots and English.
- A person of mixed European and Aboriginal descent. Often uncapitalized.
Synonyms
- Bois Brule, Bois Brulé
- country born
- mixed-blood half-breed
Usage notes
The Canadian Oxford Dictionary uses the spelling , but with the acute accent is used officially by organizations such as the Métis National Council and the Government of Canada.