What is palouser?

The Word palouser is derived from the Palouse Country, a prairie in Eastern Washington and north-central Idaho. A palouser is a sort of hurricane lamp fashioned from a tin can with perforations to ventilate it and one side opening for the light. It contains a lit candle. A palouser also refers to a windstorm of this region.

The famous horse "appaloosa" is also derived as a contraction of "a palouser". These horses were selectively bred by the Nez Perce tribe. Their distinguishing feature is a spotted rump.

I you have a Merriam Webser's unabridged dictionary of 1950's vintage you can probably find the "hurricane lamp" definition therein.

The Palouse Country was ,itself, named after the Pelouze hills in France.