luau

American  

[loo-ou, loo-ou] / luˈaʊ, ˈlu aʊ /

noun

1. a feast of Hawaiian food, usually held outdoors and usually accompanied by Hawaiian entertainment.

2. a cooked dish of taro leaves, usually prepared with coconut cream and octopus or chicken.

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luau British  

/ luːˈaʊ, ˈluːaʊ /

noun

1. a feast of Hawaiian food

2. a dish of taro leaves usually prepared with coconut cream and octopus or chicken

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Etymology

Origin of luau

First recorded in 1835–45, luau is from the Hawaiian word lū'au

Example Sentences

It warms my heart to see the uptick in foot traffic and downtown come back to life – more smiles, more laughter and more luau plates for the hungry, hard-working people in this city.

From Seattle Times

The fire left her without her main job as a luau host and traditional Hawaiian dancer in Lahaina, though the condo she shares with her husband was far from the burn zone.

From Los Angeles Times

The luau partnered with Alaska Airlines for visitors to donate to the Kākoʻo Maui Fund, a campaign led by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement to deploy resources to communities impacted by the Maui wildfires.

From Seattle Times

“You ever go to one of those luaus?” he asked.

From New York Times

“If Nani were light-skinned and conventionally attractive from a White or European perspective, she would not have had as hard of a time keeping the job at the luau,” he said.

From Washington Post