American


of or relating to the or its inhabitants:
an American citizen.
of or relating to North or ; of the Western Hemisphere:
the American continents.
of or relating to the aboriginal Indians of North and , usually excluding the Eskimos, regarded as being of Asian ancestry and marked generally by reddish to brownish skin, black hair, dark eyes, and prominent cheekbones.
a citizen of the .
a native or inhabitant of the Western Hemisphere.
an Indian of North or .
.
a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, four driving wheels, and no rear truck.
a novel (1877) by Henry James.
Contemporary Examples

Their friends on Orkut display a diverse range of Pakistani and American immigrant beliefs.
The Would-Be Bomber’s Wife Asra Q. Nomani May 5, 2010

That was part of this thing, American Express: Unstaged, where they asked people to direct this livestreamed concert.
David Lynch on Transcendental Meditation, ‘Twin Peaks,’ and Collaborating With Kanye West Marlow Stern October 5, 2014

Obamacare is not just a dumb law but a deeply offensive one (on this at least, the American people have my back).
With More Competition and Choice, Obamacare Might Not Be So Horrible Nick Gillespie May 11, 2014

The American people are deeply frustrated with elected officials in Washington, D.C., right now.
Obama’s Nightmare: Reelected in 2012 but Republicans Take the Senate Thomas E. Cronin December 28, 2011

This is a book for every American—a masterpiece of biography.
Wes Clark on Washington General Wesley K. Clark October 13, 2010

Historical Examples

But this sacrifice of American youth did not make the world safe for anything.
The Invisible Government Dan Smoot

They saw an American ship riding at anchor a mile or more from shore.
Brave and Bold Horatio Alger

It is an American enterprise, with British and Mexican associations.
Mexico Charles Reginald Enock

We have a just right to expect that our European policy will be the American policy of European courts.
United States Presidents’ Inaugural Speeches Various

For the formation we may compare American vamose, to skedaddle, from Span.
The Romance of Words (4th ed.) Ernest Weekley

adjective
of or relating to the United States of America, its inhabitants, or their form of English
of or relating to the American continent
noun
a native or citizen of the US
a native or inhabitant of any country of North, Central, or South America
the English language as spoken or written in the United States

1570s (n.); 1590s (adj.), from Modern Latin Americanus, from America (q.v.); originally in reference to what now are called Native Americans; the sense of “resident of North America of European (originally British) descent” is first recorded 1640s (adj.); 1765 (n.).

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  • American antislavery society

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  • American bible society

    a society founded in New York City in 1816 to bring about worldwide dissemination of the Bible. Historical Examples But it, too, was completed and published in 1879, by the American Bible Society. Among the Sioux R. J. Creswell He took an active part in the founding of the American Bible Society in 1816, of […]


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