Definition

Proper noun: 1. A specific mountain range in the United States: The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range located primarily in western South Dakota and extending into northeastern Wyoming. 2. A region of cultural and historical significance: This area is considered sacred by the Lakota Sioux and other Indigenous peoples. The 19th-century settlement of the region by white miners led to armed conflict, including the Battle of Little Bighorn. It is also the site of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Black Hills are known for their dark, pine-covered slopes.
  • We went camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota last summer.
  • The history of the Black Hills is central to the story of the American West.

Advanced Usage

• Referring to the region's sacred status: The term is often used in historical and cultural contexts to discuss the conflict over land rights.
  • The treaty guaranteed the Sioux ownership of the Black Hills.
• Referring to the geological formation: Used in geographical contexts to describe the range's unique features.
  • The Black Hills are an erosional remnant of a much larger mountain range.

Variants and Related Words

• Black Hills gold (noun phrase): A style of jewelry characterized by pink, green, and yellow gold, traditionally made in the Black Hills region.
  • She bought a beautiful pendant made of Black Hills gold.
• Black Hills spruce (noun phrase): A common name for the Picea glauca var. densata, a variety of white spruce native to the region.

Synonyms

• The Hills (informal, regional): A common local shorthand for the Black Hills.
  • They're spending the weekend in the Hills.

Related Phrases

• Heart of the Black Hills: A phrase often used in tourism to describe the central, most visited area around towns like Rapid City and Keystone.
  • Our hotel is located in the heart of the Black Hills.

Noun

1. mountains in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming
2. mountains in southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming; sacred to the Sioux (whites settling in the Black Hills led to the Battle of Little Bighorn); site of Mount Rushmore