A newcomer or inexperienced person, especially someone newly arrived in Alaska or the Yukon during the gold rush era.
From Chinook Jargon 'chechako,' meaning 'newcomer' or 'tenderfoot.' Chinook Jargon was a pidgin used in Pacific Northwest trade, blending English, French, and Native American languages. The term became especially common during the Alaskan gold rush (1890s).
Try Another Word