dene

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈdēn How to pronounce dene (audio)
Synonyms of denenext
British
: valley

Déné

2 of 2

noun (2)

Dé·​né de-ˈnā How to pronounce Déné (audio)
dā-
plural Déné or Dénés de-ˈnāz How to pronounce Déné (audio)
dā-
: a member of any of the Athabascan-speaking peoples of the interior of Alaska and northwestern Canada
also : the languages of these peoples

Synonyms

Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of dene in a Sentence

Noun (1) there are some deeply wooded denes in that part of Northumberland

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English denu

Noun (2)

Canadian French, of Athabascan origin; akin to Chipewyan & Slave (Athabascan languages of Canada) dene person

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dene was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

dendrophysis
dene
Déné
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dene. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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