American: Meaning and Definition of

A•mer•i•can

Pronunciation: (u-mer'i-kun), [key]
— adj.
  1. of or pertaining to the United States of America or its inhabitants: an American citizen.
  2. of or pertaining to North or South America; of the Western Hemisphere: the American continents.
  3. of or pertaining to the aboriginal Indians of North and South America, 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.
—n.
  1. a citizen of the United States of America.
  2. a native or inhabitant of the Western Hemisphere.
  3. an Indian of North or South America.
  4. See
  5. a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, four driving wheels, and no rear truck. See table under

American The

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a novel (1877) by Henry James.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: