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roanoke. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
roanoke, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
roanoke in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
roanoke you have here. The definition of the word
roanoke will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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English
Etymology
Borrowed from Powhatan rawrenock (“things rubbed smooth by hand”).
Pronunciation
Noun
roanoke (uncountable)
- (US, historical) White beads of low value made from shells, formerly used for ornaments and currency by Native Americans of colonial Virginia.
1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, Kupperman, published 1988, page 94:Cuscarawaoke, where is made so much Rawranoke or white beads that occasion as much dissention among the savages, as gold and silver amongst Christians […]
- 1656, John Tradescant, Musaeum Tradescantianum, pages 47 and 51, different spelling as printed:
- Pohatan, King of Virgiania's habit all embroidered with shells, or Roanoke (p. 47); Virginian purses imbroidered with Roanoake (p. 51)
1993, Joseph Douglas Deal, Race and class in colonial Virginia: Indians, Englishmen, and Africans on the Eastern Shore during the seventeenth century, page 23:The king of Machepungo was ordered to deliver over twice as much roanoke in graduated payments over the course of eight months.