English

Alternative forms

• pau wau
• almost all capitalization, punctuation, and spacing variants are attested, such as pow wow, Pow-Wow, etc.

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.
   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 12, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     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.

Translations

Verb

powwow ‎(third-person singular simple present powwows, present participle powwowing, simple past and past participle powwowed)

1. (intransitive, of Native Americans) To hold a meeting; to gather together in council.
   • 2005, Glen Tucker, Tecumseh: A Vision of Glory, page 224:

     [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. (intransitive, of Native Americans and by extension other groups, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch) To conduct a ritual in which magic is used.
   • 2007, David W. Kriebel, Powwowing Among the Pennsylvania Dutch, page 10:

     Maybe no one— except possibly Leah— powwowed anymore.

3. (informal, intransitive) To hold a private conference.