aboriginal

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   First according to historical or scientific records

   First according to historical or scientific records; original; indigenous; primitive.

   • Green in the Church-yard, beautiful and green; / […] / And mantled o'er with aboriginal turf / And everlasting flowers.
2. 2

   Living in a land before colonization by foreigners.

   • Where else but from Nantucket did those aboriginal whalemen, the Red-Men, first sally out in canoes to give chase to the Leviathan?
   • Had a vast knowledge of the aboriginal tribes; was, in spite of his juniority, the greatest authority on the aboriginal Gullals.
3. 3

   Alternative letter-case form of Aboriginal

4. ›+ 5 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      An animal or plant native to a region.

      • It may be welldoubted whether this frog is an aboriginal of these islands.
   2. 5

      Of or pertaining to Australian Aboriginal peoples, or their languages.

      • Academics who study Aboriginal languages are [...] contributing to Man’s search for knowledge, a search that interests most people even if they are not personally involved in it.
      • I am under no illusions about my mixed-race status; I know I am mixed-race, but with the Aboriginal population being only 3 per cent, with my family being survivors of genocide, I have made my decision.
   3. 6

      Alternative letter-case form of aboriginal.

   4. 7

      An Aboriginal inhabitant of Australia or other land.

   5. 8

      Any of the native languages spoken by Australian aborigines.

The neighborhood

• neighboraborigine