Conestoga U.S.
(kɒnəˈstəʊgə)
Also 8 Canastoe.
[The name of a town in Pennsylvania and of a local Indian people, prob. f. some Iroquoian word.]
1. An Iroquoian North American Indian people formerly inhabiting parts of Pennsylvania and Maryland; a member of this people. Also attrib. or as adj.
| 1699 in Doc. Hist. N.Y. (1854) IV. 579 The English in Virginia had peace with the Canastogue Indians..and..heard you were coming against the Canastogues. 1764 Ibid. (1856) VII. 602 The late Murder committed on the Friendly Conestoga Indians. 1891 J. W. Powell in 7th Ann. Rep. Bureau Amer. Ethnol. 78 The Conestoga..occupied the country about the Lower Susquehanna. 1959 J. Witthoft in Witthoft & Kinsey Susquehannock Misc. 19 A remnant settled near present Lancaster, Pennysylvania, becoming known as the Conestogas. |
2. Conestoga wagon, a large travelling-wagon formerly in use. Also ellipt.
| [1750 Penna. Gazette (Philad.) 26 Feb., Just imported and to be sold..by Thomas White, at his house in Market Street, almost opposite the sign of the Conestoga Waggon.] 1781 R. Beatty Let. Aug. in Penna. Mag. Hist. & Bibliogr. (1920) XLIV. 222, I cannot say I will follow your Advice respecting marrying a Dutch Girl, with a good Plantation & a Conostoga Waggon. [1788 W. Gordon Hist. Amer. Revol. IV. x. 306 A small dirty room in the Philadelphia tavern called the Canastoe-waggon.] 1808 Balance (Hudson, N.Y.) 16 Feb. 28 (Th.), The throng of Pittsburg and Conestoga waggons. 1844 G. W. Kendall Santa Fé Exped. II. iii. 59 Her travelling carriage was nothing more or less than a huge Pennsylvania or Conestoga wagon, drawn by four yokes of oxen. 1901 W. Churchill Crisis 356 Open waggons and conestogas, carryalls and buggies. 1931 J. T. Adams Epic of Amer. vi. 148 Thousands..crossed the mountains on foot or in Conestoga wagons. 1961 Guardian 6 Nov. 3/1 In the United States those predecessors of the ‘prairie schooners’, the Conestogas..had postillions. |
3. Used attrib. to designate a heavy breed of horses. Also ellipt., a horse of this breed.
| 1824 W. H. Keating Exped. St. Peter's River I. i. 31 There are several appellations by which the different breeds of this useful animal are distinguished in Pennsylvania, such as the Conestoga. 1844 Congress. Globe App. 748/2 Mr. Buchanan.. could come upon the turf successfully with his celebrated breed of Conestoga dray horses. 1857 ‘F. Forester’ Horse & Horsemanship ii. 59, I am inclined to suspect, the Conestoga-horse is descended from a mixture of the Flemish cart-horse with the English breed. 1860 R. Jennings Horse 61 The vast, white-topped wagons, drawn by superb teams of the stately Conestogas. 1875 Congress. Rec. 22 Mar. 132/1 The Conestogas respond promptly to the whip. 1942 C. Weygandt Plenty of Pennsylvania 83 A tight little Morgan..or a team of great Conestogas. |
4. A large coarse boot or shoe. (Cf. stogy.)
| 1893 Dialect Notes I. 229 Conostogas, brogans. 1903 in S. Clapin Dict. Amer. s.v. |