| Noun | 1. | Athabaskan - a member of any of the North American Indian groups speaking an Athapaskan language and living in the subarctic regions of western Canada and central Alaska American Indian, Indian, Red Indian - a member of the race of people living in America when Europeans arrived Apache - any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico); fought a losing battle from 1861 to 1886 with the United States and were resettled in Oklahoma Chipewyan - a member of the Athapaskan people living in western Canada between Great Slave Lake and Hudson Bay Hupa - a member of the Athapaskan people of the Trinity River valley in California Mattole - a member of the Athapaskan people living in northwestern California |
| 2. | Athabaskan - a group of Amerindian languages (the name coined by an American anthropologist, Edward Sapir) American-Indian language, Amerind, Amerindian language, American Indian, Indian - any of the languages spoken by Amerindians Apache - the language of the Apache Hupa - the Athapaskan language spoken by the Hupa Mattole - the Athapaskan language spoken by the Mattole U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. - North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776 |