Etymology

Pictou

Pic·tou
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Today it means: A town in Nova Scotia, Canada. Full definition →

Mi'kmaq piktook
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The story

  1. Mi'kmaq · derived frompiktook“explosion, fire”
  2. English todayPictou

The name of the town is derived from Mi'kmaq piktook (“explosion, fire”). The toponym refers to highly explosive methane from coal seams located under the town's harbour.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.