n. 1. A member of the indigenous or earliest known population of a region; a native. 2. often Aborigine Often Offensive A member of any of the indigenous peoples of Australia. 3. aborigines The flora and fauna native to a geographic area. [Back-formation from pl. aborigines (taken as aborigine + -S1), from Latin aborīginēs, original inhabitants (folk etymology of the name of a pre-Roman tribe of Italy) : ab, from; see AB-1 + orīgine, ablative of orīgō, beginning; see ORIGIN.] Usage Note: Until recently, Aborigine was the most common term for a member of one of the indigenous peoples of Australia, but it is now often considered offensive; the term Aboriginal Australian is generally preferred. See Usage Note at native. |
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