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  1. kinnikinnick love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A preparation made from dried leaves, bark, and sometimes tobacco and smoked especially by certain Native American peoples.
  2. n. See bearberry.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A mixture of bark, dried leaves, and often berries and/or tobacco, which is smoked.
  2. n. Any of the plants whose berries, leaves or bark used in this mixture.

Etymologies

  1. Originally spelled with an "l" in the first part (i.e. killikinick). From an Unami word meaning "mixture, admixture", cognate to Lenape këlëkënikàn ("smoking mixture, killikinick"). (Wiktionary)
  2. Unami kələkkəníikkan, item for mixing in, kinnikinnick. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

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Lists

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Comments

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  • chained_bear "There is already a distinct chill in the air though it is only late July. Last night the temperature dropped below freezing, and this morning we woke to discover an inch of snow on the ground, clinging to the fireweed and the kinnikinnick."
    —James Campbell, The Final Frontiersman (New York and London: Atria Books, 2004), 193 Sep 17, 2008

  • polymorph This plant is particularly valued for use in treating urinary tract inflammation.

    I went looking for etymology and found this:

    kiku. Tobacco. Compare kinnickkinnick (Ojibwe).

    kinnikkinnik. Smoking mixture (from Algonquian language).

    - Source (MS-WORD .doc)
    Apr 8, 2007

  • reesetee Not surprising, tendrel! But I'll bet it was an interesting experience.... Mar 6, 2007

  • tendrel I've tried it once, made my heart race. Mar 6, 2007

  • reesetee Well, you could plant some bearberry and then, while leading a late summer afternoon tour of your garden, announce that you have here a beautiful kinnikkinnick hedge.... Feb 28, 2007

  • trivet Oh my goodness, yes! Now I only have to find a way to drop it into conversations... Feb 28, 2007

  • reesetee A mixture of bark, dried leaves, and sometimes tobacco, formerly smoked by the Native Americans and pioneers in the Ohio valley; or the plants used in this mixture, especially bearberry.

    Gotta love this word. :-) Feb 28, 2007

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‘kinnikinnick’ has been looked up 1784 times, loved by 2 people, added to 20 lists, commented on 7 times, and has a Scrabble score of 16.