Powwow
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
- 2 (informal) a quick private conference wordnet
- 3 A Native American shaman.
- 4 a council of or with Native Americans wordnet
- 5 A Native American council or meeting.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A short, private conference. informal
"While the powwow was going on the big woman came back again. She was consider'ble rumpled and scratched up, but there was fire in her eye."
- 7 A large gathering during which Indigenous songs and dances are showcased for an audience, essentially a recital or concert. Often also doubles as a fundraiser, or can be held in conjunction with a non-indigenous fair or exhibition in order to attract a large crowd, as at the Calgary Stampede and K-Days. Canada, US
"On the way out, Octavio handed me a flyer for the powwow that listed the prize money in each dance category."
- 8 A tradition of folk magic practiced by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
- 1 To hold a meeting; to gather together in council. intransitive
"[The] Indians saw everything that happened and powwowed all night, needing more than anything else the presence of Tecumseh. The most aggressive element was the Winnebagos, who insisted on attacking."
- 2 hold a powwow, talk, conference or meeting wordnet
- 3 To conduct a ritual in which magic is used. intransitive
"Maybe no one— except possibly Leah— powwowed anymore."
- 4 To hold a private conference. informal, intransitive, offensive, often
Example
More examples"While the powwow was going on the big woman came back again. She was consider'ble rumpled and scratched up, but there was fire in her eye."
Etymology
From an Eastern Algonquian language, probably Massachusett pauwau (“he uses divination; he practices magic or sorcery”) or Narragansett powwáw (“sorcerer, shaman”), ultimately from Proto-Algonquian *pawe·wa (“one who dreams”).
Related phrases
More for "powwow"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.