Appomattox
|ap-po-mat-tox|
/ˌæpəˈmætəks/
place name; site of surrender
Etymology
'Appomattox' originates from an Algonquian language (the name of the Appamatuck people), specifically the word 'Appamatuck', which was used by Native Americans in the region.
'Appomattox' was anglicized from the Native American tribal/place name 'Appamatuck' during English colonial settlement; the spelling and pronunciation were adapted into modern English as 'Appomattox'.
Initially, it referred primarily to the Native American people or the place associated with them; over time it became the name of the town and, by historical association, a shorthand for the Confederate surrender and the end of the Civil War.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a village in central Virginia (Appomattox Court House), famous as the site where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865.
Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
Noun 2
used metonymically to refer to the surrender or the effective end of the American Civil War (e.g., 'the war ended at Appomattox').
When he heard the news of Appomattox, he felt the war was finally over.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/26 07:24