hootenanny

noun

hoo·​te·​nan·​ny ˈhü-tə-ˌna-nē How to pronounce hootenanny (audio)
plural hootenannies
1
chiefly dialectal : gadget
2
: a gathering at which folk singers entertain often with the audience joining in

Examples of hootenanny in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But Stapleton’s ability to make a giant concrete edifice seem like an intimate hootenanny with just an acoustic guitar and his deeply expressive voice was a rare accomplishment. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 Some were these churlish rock records, others hootenanny folk records, bluegrass/country standards with Mac Wiseman. Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2023 Launched in 2002, atop a mountain just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in southwestern Virginia, FloydFest grew from a grassroots backyard hootenanny to one of the premier independent music festivals in the country, attracting upwards of 20,000 attendees annually. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2023 Performing with their band in front of gold-glowing light panels, the duo opened the song with a scorching guitar solo before launching into the hootenanny of a track, during which the camera cut to both Lady Gaga and H.E.R. rocking out in the audience. Katie Bain, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2022 The California Craft Beer Summit, an annual trade show/convention/hops-heavy-hootenanny, will roll into our state capital March 19-22. San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2023 Before this year’s hootenanny, read through past years’ live chats that have made this tradition special. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2022 The Naked Susan story begins with an innocent enough family game of charades but has an ending for the hootenanny ages that includes a significant cliffhanger. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2022 But new to even him was a reproduction of a 1959 photo of Dylan sitting among some students at a hootenanny on the University of Minnesota campus, recently donated by the man sitting next to young Dylan in the picture. Chris Willman, Variety, 11 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hootenanny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hootenanny was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near hootenanny

Cite this Entry

“Hootenanny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hootenanny. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hootenanny

noun
hoo·​te·​nan·​ny ˈhüt-ᵊn-ˌan-ē How to pronounce hootenanny (audio)
plural hootenannies
: a gathering at which folksingers entertain

More from Merriam-Webster on hootenanny

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