n ( pl Nez Percés or Nez Percé )
a member of a Native American people who now live in the state of Idaho on a reservation (= land given and protected by the US government). Their name means ‘pierced nose’ in French. They bred excellent horses and originally lived in west Idaho. Although they gave most of their land to the US in 1855, later land disputes led to a war in 1877 in which Chief Joseph and his people were defeated.