Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a meeting.

1805		T.G. Fessenden Democracy Unveiled 57: Many a Democratic pow wow, / Was held in bawling exultation, / For crimes of our dear sister nation.
1812		Salem (MA) Gazette 5 June 3/3: The Warriors of the Democratic Tribe will hold a powow [sic] at Agawam on Tuesday next [DA].
1845		Liverpool Mail 30 Aug. 8/3: The body of the murdered Indian was taken to the fort, where a most terrific pow-wow was held.
1855		N.Y. Herald 22 June n.p.: I was in Philadelphia when the Know-Nothings were holding their grand national pow-wow there.
1867		G.W. Harris Sut Lovingood’s Yarns 164: The soggy an’ muddy heded wuns hilt a pow-wow.
1873		W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 244: The village is all alive with niggers, and lighted up as though they were having a big powwow.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Aug. 11/3: At a recent pow-wow of the Goulburn Wesleyan warriors, the chair was taken by a lay doxology dumper named brother Tait [...].
1894		Truth (Sydney) 10 June 3/3: There was a great pow-wow of the Agents-General of the several colonies held in London during the week.
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 313: The Deef Woman has a brief pow-wow with him alone.
1899		Kipling ‘Slaves of the Lamp — Part II’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) n.p.: They’re holding a pow-wow between the Khye-Kheens and the Malôts at the head of the gorge. I don’t think these so-called coalitions are much good.
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 21 Dec. 22/4: The members have a tremendous annual ‘pow-wow’ and picnic, but when are they going to do something?
1912		Day Book (Chicago) 8 Apr. 17/2: The next thing the Getriches did was to get together for a pow-wow.
1917		B. Adams Nothing of Importance 71: You [...] have a pow-wow in the evening in which the O.C. ‘A’ is asked why he went off to the left.
1926		J. Black You Can’t Win (2000) 243: There was a powwow in the magistrate’s office.
1934		F. Tuohy Inside Dope 196: The first international drug conference [...] was at Shanghai, and it led to a Hague successor in 1912 – perhaps the most useful drug pow-wow yet convened.
1945		(con. 1900s) S. O’Casey Drums Under the Windows 238: Curious spot to choose for an episcopal pow-wow.
1952		Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential 132: There converged political leaders who held powwows while restoring their health with Pluto water.
1968		G. Cuomo Among Thieves 125: How’d your holiday powwow go?
1975		L. Rosten Dear ‘Herm’ 98: Last year we performed Cinderellas annual Pow-Wow in San Francisco – and Wow! what a Pow we had.
1981		(con. 1966) P. Conroy Lords of Discipline 93: I want you to come to my room for a little powwow.
1984		P. Corris ‘Stockyards at Jerilderie’ in Heroin Annie [e-book] Rosemary and Bill came up to have a pow-wow with Susan.
1991		B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 47: ‘Be sure to help yourselves to the doughnuts [...] on your way out,’ the Plant Manager shouted as the pow-wow broke up.
2002		J. Cameron Hell on Hoe Street 47: We moved into the front room for a bit of a pow-wow.
2011		R.F. Coleman ‘Requiem for Spider’ in Pulp Ink [ebook] There was to be no muscle at the powwow.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 270: ...he was going to Liverpool... reaching some rapprochement with the family... pow wows powwows.

2. a noise, a commotion.

1825		J. Neal Brother Jonathan III 387: [She] cussed poor Bet, with sich a powwow!
1833		J. Neal Down-Easters I 105: Glancing at the ladies’ cabin, where a tremendous pow wow had just broken out. Such a screaming of mothers! and such a squalling of babies!
1844		‘Jonathan Slick’ High Life in N.Y. I 226: There was in there sich a pow-wow and rumpus kicked up.
1876		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer 235: Nothing but liquor had been found; there would have been a great pow-wow if it had been the gold.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 159: Then she would turn a corner and her lights would wink out and her powwow shut off and leave the river still again. [Ibid.] 257: Everyone was whooping at once, and there was a rattling pow-wow.

3. a fight; a riot.

1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Life on the Mississippi(2004) 13: It was a perfect pow-wow for a while. Bob and the Child had red noses and black eyes when they got through.
1890		Sporting Times 15 Mar. 2/1: Fearful has been the pow-wow over the distribution of awards to the decorated carriages.
1916		‘Anzac’ On the Anzac Trail 72: Of course, there were little isolated pow-wows now and then, but they always ended in such an all-fired jamboree that the tenderfeet effendis [...] thought the bottom had fallen out of hell.

4. a chat, a conversation.

[1825		J. Neal Brother Jonathan III 387: ‘Off she goes; and [...] turned witch, herself, an’ cussed poor Bet, with sich a pow-wow!’ – ‘Ah; pow-wow! is that what you call the bad prayer, in these parts?’].
1894		Mirror of Life 24 Feb. 14/3: [Billy] [t]he Kid was dragged out into the moonlight, and after a brief pow-wow was buried.
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 64: After a brief pow-wow the Greaser [...] puts six beans in a buckskin bag.
1907		W.M. Raine Bucky O’Connor (1910) 139: ‘I reckon I’m getting off left foot first. It’s your powwow now,’ he conceded.
1911		A. Adams Wells Brothers 🌐 Ch. ii: ‘What do you suppose they are talking about?’ [...] ‘Just a little social powwow.’.
1916		‘Anzac’ On the Anzac Trail 39: I think, taking all in all, the lectures were the most popular items on the list [...] Yes, I fancy those pow-wows ranked first in popularity.
1920		‘Sapper’ Bulldog Drummond 100: I’ll be down later, and we’ll have a pow-wow.
1938		R. Chandler ‘Red Wind’ in Red Wind (1946) 53: We got pow-wow to make.
1951		Cusack & James Come in Spinner (1960) 26: I’d like to be under the reception desk when those two are having a pow-wow on the phone while we’re slaving. I’ll bet the wires run hot.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 123: This pow-wow right here is news inside already.