# teepee

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtiːpi/ · frequency rank #71,153

## Definitions
1. A cone-shaped tent traditionally used by many native peoples of the Great Plains of North America.
2. A conical formation of small flammable sticks leaning on each other, in roughly the shape of an Indian teepee, built over smaller tinder such as cotton or leaves.

## Etymology
From the Lakota word thípi (/ˈtʰipi/), which consists of two elements: the verb thí (“to dwell”), and pi, a pluralising enclitic (a suffix-like ending that marks the subject of the verb as plural), which means they dwell. Lakota verbs can be used as nouns and this is the case with thípi, which in practice simply means house.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/teepee