potlatch

1 of 2

noun

pot·​latch ˈpät-ˌlach 

1

: a ceremonial feast of the American Indians of the northwest coast marked by the host's lavish distribution of gifts or sometimes destruction of property to demonstrate wealth and generosity with the expectation of eventual reciprocation

2

Northwestern US : a social event or celebration

potlatch

2 of 2

verb

potlatched; potlatching; potlatches

transitive verb

1

: to give (something, such as a gift) especially with the expectation of a gift in return

2

: to hold or give a potlatch for (a tribe, a group, etc.)

intransitive verb

: to hold or give a potlatch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Decimated by illness, they were stripped of their traditional lands and saw their culture criminalized through the potlatch ban, a policy in effect from 1884 to 1951. —Diane Selkirk, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Dec. 2022

One of the earliest pieces to enter the collection, in 1883, the canoe was embellished for exhibition in 1910 with figures representing Tlingits on their way to a potlatch ceremony. —New York Times, 5 May 2022

Native Americans from the Northwest Pacific Coast held potlatch feasts at which property and goods were lavished upon neighboring tribes, mainly for the purpose of showing off wealth. —Patricia Marx, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022

Tunu offers Gibbs a Springfield rifle as part of the potlatch tradition of giving away personal wealth, and Gibbs returns Libby's watch to Tunu. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 12 Oct. 2021

This was the potlatch around 1900, after the Kwakwaka’wakw had been decimated by disease and were living in a new economy. —Eula Biss, The New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2020

During his years as governor, Walker said, Natives welcomed him into their homes, their whaling ceremonies, their potlatches and other important family events. —Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Oct. 2019

The tale of Gaagiixiid is a cultural touchstone, a story of sin and redemption, traditionally performed at winter potlatch ceremonies, in which the Haida share songs, dances, and gifts. —Julian Brave Noisecat, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2019

In the indigenous Kwakwaka’wakw settlement in Alert Bay, British Columbia, Marcus Alfred, a sculptor and the youngest chief in his tribe’s history, carves masks and other sculptures and purchases food and gifts in preparation for a potlatch. —BostonGlobe.com, 24 Oct. 2019

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Chinook Jargon patlač, from Nootka p̓aƛp̓ač

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1898, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1