Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A council or meeting of Native Americans, sometimes with people from other communities.
  • noun Informal A conference or gathering, as of business people.
  • noun A Native American shaman.
  • noun A ceremony conducted by a shaman, as in the performance of healing or hunting rituals.
  • intransitive verb To hold a powwow.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
  • noun [archaic] A Native American shaman.
  • noun A Native American council or meeting.
  • noun informal A short, private conference. [This usage is often considered disrespectful or offensive.]
  • verb intransitive To hold a meeting; to gather together in council. [This usage is often considered disrespectful or offensive.]
  • verb intransitive To conduct a ritual in which magic is used. [This usage is often considered disrespectful or offensive.]
  • verb informal, intransitive To hold a private conference. [This usage is often considered disrespectful or offensive.]

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb hold a powwow, talk, conference or meeting
  • noun a council of or with Native Americans
  • noun (informal) a quick private conference

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Narragansett powwaw, shaman.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From an Algonquian language, probably Massachusett pauwau or Narragansett powwaw "practitioner of magic, shaman", from Proto-Algonquian *pawe:wa (“one who dreams”).

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Examples

Comments

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  • How do we powwow? Powwow doodle alla day. :o)

    August 22, 2007

  • This word reminds me of the old Batman series with Adam West.

    Biff! Kablammy!

    August 22, 2007

  • Good grief, that show was hilarious! Almost as amusing as The Avengers.

    August 22, 2007

  • See also pow-wow

    February 19, 2008