apache
|a-pach-e|
/əˈpætʃi/
Native American tribe (Southwest)
Etymology
'apache' originates from Spanish, specifically the word 'apache', where the term likely traces back to a Zuni (or related Puebloan) word often reconstructed as 'apachu' meaning 'enemy' or 'people who fight'.
'apache' changed from Spanish 'apache' and was adopted into French (including the slang sense for a ruffian) and then into modern English as 'apache'; later the name was applied to the AH-64 helicopter and to software products (e.g. Apache HTTP Server).
Initially it referred specifically to a member of the Apache peoples; over time the word also acquired a slang sense 'ruffian' in French and was later used as a namesake for military hardware and software.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a member of the Apache peoples, a group of culturally related Native American tribes of the Southwestern United States.
An apache spoke about tribal traditions at the meeting.
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Noun 2
the AH-64 Apache, a U.S. attack helicopter named after the Apache people.
The apache hovered above the battlefield before descending.
Synonyms
Noun 3
(dated, informal) A ruffian or member of a street gang; from early 20th-century French slang.
He was treated like an apache by the police because of his rough appearance.
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Antonyms
Noun 4
the Apache HTTP Server, commonly called Apache, an open-source web server software.
We host the site on an apache server to handle heavy traffic.
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Last updated: 2025/09/14 07:00