Meaning & use

Hootenanny

noun·Everyday

Last updated

An informal gathering featuring folk music, often with audience participation.

See it in a sentence

The town square hosted a hootenanny every summer evening with local musicians.

They ended the festival with a rousing hootenanny around the campfire.

A note on using this word

Hootenanny entered American English in the early 20th century as a folksy substitute word, much like "gadget" or "thingamajig," before becoming specifically associated with folk-music gatherings in the 1940s.

Words with a similar meaning

jam sessionsing-along

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