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campfire

American  
[kamp-fahyuhr] / ˈkæmpˌfaɪər /

noun

  1. an outdoor fire for warmth or cooking, as at a camp.

  2. a gathering around such a fire.

  3. a reunion of soldiers, scouts, etc.

campfire British  
/ ˈkæmpˌfaɪə /

noun

  1. an outdoor fire in a camp, esp one used for cooking or as a focal point for community events

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of campfire

First recorded in 1665–75; camp 1 + fire

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Four years before she arrived, the Kinneloa fire, sparked by a campfire, erupted in the same mountains.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026

You needn’t baby carbon-steel pans—stack them without worry, use metal utensils or stick them into the hottest pizza oven or campfire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

The day after the campfire meeting, I speak to Dima, who wants to tell me more about his dad.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025

Campgrounds span over 700 acres in the heart of Texas’ Hill Country, making it a peaceful place for girls to spend weeks singing campfire songs and making ceramics.

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2025

After supper, Mum and I talked around our campfire, then snuggled into our two cots in the tent.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.