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Noun: kachina  ku'chee-nu
  1. A deified spirit of the Pueblo people
    "The children were fascinated by the colourful kachina dolls representing various spirits"
     
  2. A masked dancer during a Pueblo religious ceremony who is thought to embody some particular spirit
    "The kachina performed intricate steps to invoke rain for the crops"
     
  3. A carved doll wearing the costume of a particular Pueblo spirit; usually presented to a child as a gift
    "The young girl received a colourful kachina representing the rain spirit"

Derived forms: kachinas

Type of: dancer, disembodied spirit, doll, dolly, professional dancer, spirit, terpsichorean

Encyclopedia: Kachina