powwow

¹pow·wow

noun \ˈpau̇-ˌwau̇\

Definition of POWWOW

1

: an American Indian medicine man

2

a : an American Indian ceremony (as for victory in war)

b : an American Indian social gathering or fair usually including competitive dancing

3

a : a social get-together

b : a meeting for discussion

Examples of POWWOW

1. We'll talk about vacation plans at the family powwow.
2. <all the departments met for a brief powwow after lunch>

Origin of POWWOW

Narragansett powwaw or Massachusett pauwau

First Known Use: 1624

Related to POWWOW

Synonyms

assembly, congress, convention, convocation, council, gathering, get-together, huddle, meeting

Related Words

clinic, workshop; cabinet, caucus, conclave, synod; demonstration, rally; confab, conversation, dialogue (also dialog), discourse, discussion, palaver, talk; negotiation, parley, summit; conference, forum, round-robin, roundtable, seminar, symposium; audience, interview, session

Rhymes with POWWOW

Aargau, allow, and how, ant cow, as how, avow, Belau, Bissau, bowwow, Breslau, cacao, cahow, Callao, cash cow, chowchow, chow chow, Cracow, Dachau, Davao, Donau, endow, enow, erenow, eyebrow, gangplow, Hankow, hausfrau, haymow, highbrow, hoosegow, jiao, Jungfrau, know-how, kowtow, Kraków, landau, lowbrow, luau, Lucknow, Macao, mau-mau, meow, Moscow, nohow, Palau, sea cow, snowplow, somehow, Spandau, Zwickau

²powwow

intransitive verb

Definition of POWWOW

: to hold a powwow

Examples of POWWOW

1. <civic leaders powwowed for hours trying to resolve the issue>

First Known Use of POWWOW

1642

Related to POWWOW

Synonyms

advise, confab, confabulate, consult, counsel, parley, confer, treat

Related Words

argue, bandy, bat (around), chew over, debate, deliberate, discuss, dispute, hash (over), kick around, moot, palaver, talk, talk over, ventilate; rehash; coach, guide, tutor; recommend, suggest; direct, refer (to)

powwow

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

American Indian ceremony or gathering of various kinds. Powwows originally were healing ceremonies, but the word could also refer to exuberant celebrations, with dancing and singing, of success in hunting or victory in battle. Meetings of tribal councils were also called powwows. Today the word is used for large-scale Indian social gatherings, often representing more than one tribe, with traditional drumming, singing, and dancing. Modern powwows draw tourists as well as participants, and craft items and souvenirs are offered for sale.