Definition

1. Noun:
   • A member of certain Athabaskan-speaking Native American tribes: This refers to any person belonging to various tribes originally inhabiting the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, known for their resistance during the 19th century.
   • The language spoken by the Apache peoples: This refers to the group of Southern Athabaskan languages spoken by the Apache tribes.
   • A violent street ruffian, especially in Paris (archaic): This is a dated term, borrowed from French, for a gangster or violent criminal in Paris.

Examples

• Noun (Tribal Member):
  • Geronimo was a famous Apache leader.
  • The museum has an exhibit on Apache culture and history.
• Noun (Language):
  • Fewer people speak Apache as their first language today.
  • She is studying to preserve the Apache language.
• Noun (Parisian Ruffian):
  • The novel depicted the dark underworld of Parisian apaches in the early 1900s. (Note: This usage is now historical and rare.)

Advanced Usage

• Cultural Reference: The term is often used in historical and anthropological contexts to discuss the tribes' history, culture, and conflicts with the United States government.
  • The Apache Wars were a significant series of conflicts in the American Southwest.

Variants and Related Words

• Apachean (adj): Relating to the Apache peoples or their languages.
  • Apachean linguistics is a specialized field of study.
• Western Apache, Chiricahua Apache, Jicarilla Apache: Names of specific Apache groups or their languages.

Synonyms

• Tribal Member: N/A (Proper noun for a specific ethnic group).
• Language: N/A (Proper noun for a specific language family).
• Ruffian: gangster, hoodlum, thug (for the archaic Parisian sense).

Related Phrases

• Apache helicopter: A U.S. Army attack helicopter. (Note: This is a compound proper noun named after the Native American tribe, not a direct usage of the word "apache" itself).
• Apache tears: A type of rounded obsidian nugget. (Note: This is a compound noun with a folkloric origin related to the Apache people).

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms using the word "apache" in isolation. The term is primarily used as a proper noun.

Noun

1. the language of the Apache
2. a Parisian gangster
3. any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico); fought a losing battle from 1861 to 1886 with the United States and were resettled in Oklahoma