n., pl., Calusa, or -sas.
- A Native American people formerly inhabiting the southwest coast of Florida from Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. The Calusa were extinct by the mid-18th century.
- A member of this people.
- The extinct language of the Calusa, of unknown linguistic affiliation.
[Calusa, fierce people (sense uncertain), perhaps akin to Choctaw kallo, strong.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
