potlatch
(among Indigenous people of the northern Pacific coast, especially the Kwakiutl) a ceremonial festival at which gifts are bestowed on the guests and property is destroyed by its owner in a show of wealth that the guests later attempt to surpass.
Pacific Northwest. a party or celebration.
Origin of potlatch
1Words Nearby potlatch
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use potlatch in a sentence
potlatch is a wonderful day for children, a glorious introduction to the science of economics.
The Great Potlatch Riots | Allen Kim LangCostly entertainments, such as the potlatch or the ball, are peculiarly adapted to serve this end.
The Theory of the Leisure Class | Thorstein VeblenFeed up th' dogs,' says he, 'an' in two shlapes, we'll hav' th' biggest potlatch in th' histhry av th' thribe.
Connie Morgan in Alaska | James B. HendryxAs the time approached, many canoes were on the Bay, headed by a joyous crowd going to the potlatch.
Memoirs of Orange Jacobs | Orange JacobsNo one can be sure of closing his bargain, until the terms are duly arranged, the potlatch given, and the horse delivered.
Mount Rainier | Various
British Dictionary definitions for potlatch
/ (ˈpɒtˌlætʃ) /
anthropol a competitive ceremonial activity among certain North American Indians, esp the Kwakiutl, involving a lavish distribution of gifts and the destruction of property to emphasize the wealth and status of the chief or clan
US and Canadian informal a wild party or revel
Origin of potlatch
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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