Thin strips of rawhide or leather used by Native Americans and northern peoples to make snowshoes, nets, and other equipment.
From Algonquian languages (Ojibwe babîc or similar), referring to strips of leather or sinew. Entered English through contact with Native American peoples in North America.
Babiche became essential to survival in the North American wilderness—skilled craftspeople could turn a single hide into miles of functional cord, and the word's Algonquian origin shows how indigenous innovations shaped settler technology.
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