campfire

[kamp-fahy^uhr]

noun

1. an outdoor fire for warmth or cooking, as at a camp.

2. a gathering around such a fire.

3. a reunion of soldiers, scouts, etc.

campfire

/ ˈkæmpˌfaɪə /

noun

1. an outdoor fire in a camp, esp one used for cooking or as a focal point for community events

Word History and Origins

Origin of campfire¹

First recorded in 1665–75; camp ¹ + fire

Example Sentences

She had never hiked up a snow-capped mountain with a bedroll strapped to her back, or pitched a tent in a monsoon, or gathered wood for a campfire over which to prepare her morning tea.

Read more on Literature

Another scene shows a family picnic: two teenage kids, a mother laying out plates on a blanket, a father fanning campfire flames with a newspaper.

Read more on Literature

Her computer brain was scrolling back through memories of campfires and of stargazing with Brightbill.

Read more on Literature

You needn’t baby carbon-steel pans—stack them without worry, use metal utensils or stick them into the hottest pizza oven or campfire.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They sat around the campfire that night talking about the remarkable life of the man they had rescued and the lessons to be learned from his plight.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blaze 
• bonfire 
• heat 
• inferno