1. A native North American woman or wife, the term is now thought to be quite offensive: The book Tom read about the native Americans back in the 1700s showed him that squaws were a very important part of tribal life, and not at all a degradation of their importance.

Tim called Nancy, his wife, a squaw many times, giving her additional reasons to divorce him.

2. Etymology: from Massachsett of Algonquian origin squa, "younger woman".