pow wow

Noun

powwow (plural powwows)

1. A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
2. A Native American shaman.
3. A Native American council or meeting.
4. (informal) A short, private conference.
   • 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.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC
5. (Canada, US) 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.
   • On the way out, Octavio handed me a flyer for the powwow that listed the prize money in each dance category.2018, Tommy Orange, There There, Harvill Secker, page 24
6. A tradition of folk magic practiced by the Pennsylvania Dutch.

See all 9 meanings of powwow