WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
o•ren•da
(ô ren′də, ō ren′-),USA pronunciation n.
- Anthropologya supernatural force believed by the Iroquois Indians to be present, in varying degrees, in all objects or persons, and to be the spiritual force by which human accomplishment is attained or accounted for.
- 1902; coined by U.south, southern. ethnologist J.north, northern.B. Hewitt from the supposed Huron cognate of Mohawk orę·naʔ inherent power (akin to karę·naʔ song; compare Seneca oęnǫʔ power, song with power, kaęnǫʔ song)