Sagamore means: A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization responsible for taking care of its property.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
sagamore
(politics) A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization responsible for taking care of its property.
ˈsæɡəmɔːDocumented since 1920s1920sSilenthistorical142 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1920 · no dated citations yet20th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(politics) A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization responsible for taking care of its property.
The society elects annually thirteen sachems, which represent the original thirteen States. The other officers of the society are a Secretary, Treasurer, Sagamore, and Wiskinkie. The duty of the Sagamore is to take care of the property o…
Origin: [[File:Sachem Daniel Nimham (1920px x 1920px), border cropped.jpg|thumb|A statue of Daniel Nimham, a sagamore (sense 1.1) or sachem of the Wappinger people.]] From an language; compare , sôgemô, , and , sagema, sagemo, sangemo, all ultimately from .. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Sagamore means: A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization responsible for taking care of its property.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
sagamore means: A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization responsible for taking care of its property.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: authority_figure
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "sagamore".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "sagamore" (S)
safe seatsafety schoolsafety thongssaffronizationsaffronizeSaga loutSagesagebrushersahabsahibahsahibjisahukar
Browse all slang words starting with S.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- sachem76%
(politics) A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization.
- sachem60%
A chief of one or several Native American tribe(s), especially of the Algonquians; a sagamore.
- bagman54%
(Britain, dated) A staff assistant to a senior police officer (such as a Detective Sergeant for a Detective Inspector).
- highman53%
A man of rank, especially a high rank; a superior.
- swagman53%
(US, slang) A middleman who buys and sells stolen goods; a fence.