campfire

American  

[kamp-fahy^uhr] / ˈkæmpˌfaɪər /

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.

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campfire British  

/ ˈkæmpˌfaɪə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of campfire

First recorded in 1665–75; camp ¹ + fire

Example Sentences

A fire which burned for more than 40 days on moorland was likely to have been caused by someone cooking using a campfire or gas burner, an investigation has found.

From BBC

I have built campfires in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and hunted wild turkey in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

From Literature

But home for Allun was the colored tents of the Travelers, the smell of campfires burning in the night, open plains, forests, and winding roads that seemed to have no ending.

From Literature

Sleeping bags and pillows, my Yahtze game, long forks for roasting marshmallows, folding chairs to use around the campfire, Mom’s books, Dad’s wood carving tools, Abby’s doll, my radio, Moose’s basket.

From Literature

I dream of lizards, dark skies, sand dunes and sunsets streaked in rose-mauve and smoky violet, the air heavy with the scent of wet creosote and campfire smoke.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blaze
• bonfire
• heat
• inferno