powwow means A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
powwow is pronounced /ˈpaʊ(ˌ)waʊ/.
Why “powwow” is a great word
A formal or social gathering, often involving ceremony, council, and celebration within many Native American communities, whose lineage stretches back through the colonial encounter: from an Eastern Algonquian language—likely Massachusett *pauwau* ("he uses divination, practices magic") or Narragansett *powwáw* ("sorcerer, shaman")—to the Proto-Algonquian root *pawe·wa* ("one who dreams"), first recorded in English around 1620. Unlike a general "meeting" for business or a formal "ritual" of prescribed rites, a powwow is a living confluence of the sacred and the social, the political and the personal. It is the resonant heartbeat of the drum calling across a dusty field, the precise geometry of a fancy dancer’s regalia in motion, and the low, intent murmur of elders in council—a collective dream of continuity made manifest in the shared air, where hundreds of individual narratives briefly synchronize into something larger than themselves.
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”).
noun
- A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
- A Native American shaman.
- A Native American council or meeting.
- 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.”
- 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.”
- A tradition of folk magic practiced by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
verb
- To hold a meeting; to gather together in council.“[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.”
- To conduct a ritual in which magic is used.“Maybe no one— except possibly Leah— powwowed anymore.”
- To hold a private conference.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- shamanry 83% match — The activities or craft of a shaman. vs powwow →
- manitou 82% match — A god or spirit as the object of religious awe or ritual among some American Indians. vs powwow →
- sachem 82% match — A chief of one or several Native American tribe(s), especially of the Algonquians; a sagamore. vs powwow →
- witchcraft 81% match — The practice of witches; magic, sorcery, or the use of supernatural powers to influence or predict events. vs powwow →
- angakok 81% match — An Inuit shaman. vs powwow →
- skinwalking 81% match — In certain Native American mythologies, the ability to transform into any animal when wearing its pelt. vs powwow →
- potlatch 81% match — A ceremony amongst certain indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest in which gifts are bestowed upon guests and personal property is destroyed in a show of generosity and wealth. vs powwow →
- angakkuq 81% match — An Inuit shaman. vs powwow →