Teepee
/ˈtiː.piː/noun
A conical, traditionally portable dwelling used by some Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains.
Did you know?The familiar English spelling “teepee” reflects an attempt to represent the Lakota word tipi, whose meaning is connected to living or dwelling rather than merely to a tent.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-19th Century
Lakota
tipi
“A dwelling or habitation; literally associated with living or dwelling”
18th Century
French
tente des Sioux
““Sioux tent,” an early descriptive European expression for the structure”
19th Century
English
tepee
“A conical tent or dwelling of the Plains Indigenous peoples”
19th Century
English
teepee
“An alternative phonetic spelling of tipi”
Modern English
English
teepee
“A traditional conical Indigenous dwelling, or a modern decorative structure modeled on one”