Oñate Juan de

O·ña·te

 (ō-nyä′tĕ), Juan de 1550?-1630?

Spanish explorer and conquistador. He claimed New Mexico for Spain in 1598 and served as its governor until 1607.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.