aborigine definition - Dictionary

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aborigine

ab·o·rig·i·ne [ àbbə ríjjənee ] (plural ab·o·rig·i·nes)

noun

Definition:

1. original inhabitant: a member of a people who has lived in an area from the earliest known times ( often offensive )

2. native plant or animal: an animal or plant that has existed in a place since earliest times

[16th century. Back-formation < Latin aborigines, the pre-Roman inhabitants of Latium < ab origine "from the beginning"]

Word Usage


	Avoid the use of aborigine without a capital letter to refer to a person who has lived in an area from the earliest known times.

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