noun
hootenanny
HOOT-nan-ee/ˈhuːtnæni/
An informal, lively gathering often featuring folk music and singing.
Friends sing with guitar and banjo at the backyard hootenanny.
Etymology
Hootenanny earlier meant “a gadget” before it named an informal folk-music gathering. Its origin is unknown, perhaps a nonsense word; the evidence does not explain the change in meaning.
More examples
- A banjo player joined the lively hootenanny.
- Neighbors sang folk songs at the hootenanny.
- The evening ended with an informal hootenanny.
Forms
hootenanny · hootenannies
Similar words
- jam session
- A jam session emphasizes musicians playing together; a hootenanny often includes communal folk singing.
- sing-along
- A sing-along focuses on shared singing; a hootenanny suggests a lively informal folk-music gathering.