seawan

1 definition found

seawan - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Seawan \Sea"wan\, Seawant \Sea"want\, n.
     The name used by the Algonquin Indians for the shell beads
     which passed among the Indians as money.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Seawan was of two kinds; wampum, white, and
           suckanhock, black or purple, -- the former having
           half the value of the latter. Many writers, however,
           use the terms seawan and wampum indiscriminately.
           --Bartlett.
           [1913 Webster]