wickiup, temporary dwelling of nomadic Native North Americans. It is a framework of arched poles covered by brush, bark, rushes, or mats. The wickiup is found among Native Americans in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, and California. Sometimes other dwellings of tribes in this region are called wickiups even when made of more permanent materials. The name is also spelled wikiup.

also called wigwam

indigenous North American dwelling characteristic of peoples living in forested regions. It is constructed of saplings driven into the ground in a circle or oval and tied together at the top, then covered with mats of woven rushes or sewn bark. A typical wickiup was some 15–20 feet (4.5–6 metres) in diameter. By the early 21st century, wickiup had become the preferred term among many Native Americans because wigwam was believed to play into a stereotype.

Learn more about wickiup with a free trial on Britannica.com.

See Wigwam