DCHP-1 Online
pemmican [< Algonk.: < Cree pimii fat, grease + -kān prepared] 
1 n. beaten or pounded meat mixed with melted animal fat and, sometimes, berries, the preparation being sewn in a skin bag to form a hard, compact mass that would keep for a long time under almost any conditions.
See also: beat meat pounded meat taureau (def. 3)
- Of great importance in the fur trade, pemmican was made from the flesh of buffalo (and at times from that of caribou, moose, etc.) and in preparations of varying quality and composition. Consequently, numerous compound terms were in use, as deer pemmican, berry pemmican; the qualifier being self-explanatory, few such terms have been entered here.
- 1743 (1949) Pimmegan as the Natives styles itt, is some of the Ruhiggan fait and cranberries mixd. up togeather, and Reckon'd by some Very good food by the English as well as Natives.
- 1817 Their crews encamp on the banks every night; and they generally land also to cook their meals, except when they are compelled to subsist on pemmican, a sort of dried, husky compound, composed of pounded venison and deer's fat mixed together.
- 1817 Pemmican . . . requires no cooking, and is sometimes rendered more palatable by addition of berries.
- 1875 I got some "sheep" pemmican from these hunters, and thought it very good--rather sweet and perhaps a bit richer, than the common buffalo pemmican.
- 1886 But pemmican for breakfast, pemmican for dinner, pemmican for supper, is beginning to pall; and we can only move up and down the sea-beach, for beyond us is the inevitable muskeg.
- 1966 They used to get together to chew over pemmican and offer up incantations to the great god Scouse for the preservation of the fertility of the muskrat and things like that
2 n. Fur Trade, Hist. a rawhide bag containing 90 pounds of pemmican.
See also: taureau (def. 2)
- 1824 (1955) A Pemican put into a Sand bank here two months ago is not in the least spoiled.
- 1825 (1931) Half a Doz Pemicans is all that is required for the Voyage Westward which the Crew can carry on their backs and coming East a couple Bags may be transported in like Manner.
2b n. a strong bag made of buffalo rawhide sewn hair side out, used as a container for 90 pounds of pemmican (def. 1).