Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The Indian name of the western species of Camassia, C. esculenta and C. Leichtlinii, which are found growing in moist meadows from northern California to British Columbia and eastward to western Montana.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Bot.) any of several plants of the genus Camassia of North and South America, especially the blue-flowered liliaceous plant (
Camassia esculenta ) of northwestern America, the bulbs of which were collected for food by the Indians. - noun Western U. S. A small prairie in a forest; a small grassy plain among hills.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun any of several plants of the genus Camassia; North and South America
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word camass.
Examples
-
The prairie ran out tongues of raw colors -- blue of camass, red of geranium, yellow of parsley -- at the young green grass.
-
Those of Oregon and the Columbia region gathered large stores of camass and other roots, in addition to other species of berries.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 7: Gregory XII-Infallability 1840-1916 1913
-
From the high altitudes and the scant diet of horseflesh to the lower levels of the valley and a plentiful diet of fish and camass-root was too great a change.
-
The Nezperces camp is a little farther off at the camass plains and that they have a few beaver, they report that the
-
The Indians are wishing to trade camass, but having no bags to put it in and as we would have to hire horses to take it to the fort which would make it very dear I declined trading any.
-
The Natives along the River now are generally employed curing salmon and collecting camass.
-
Indians. delayed embarking till 8 oclock when we proceeded up the river, to La Monte 18 where we encamped at 10-This is a place of rendezvouse for the Indians but only one lodge is here at present, the others are all off in the plains digging camass.
-
For "quamash" read "camass," an edible root much prized by the Nez Percés then and now.
First Across the Continent; The Story of The Exploring Expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1804-5-6 1805
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.