luau

[ loo-ou, loo-ou ]

noun

1. a feast of Hawaiian food, usually held outdoors and usually accompanied by Hawaiian entertainment.
2. a cooked dish of taro leaves, usually prepared with coconut cream and octopus or chicken.

luau

/ luːˈaʊ; ˈluːaʊ /

noun

1. a feast of Hawaiian food
2. a dish of taro leaves usually prepared with coconut cream and octopus or chicken

Word History and Origins

Origin of luau¹

First recorded in 1835–45, luau is from the Hawaiian word lū'au

Word History and Origins

Origin of luau¹

from Hawaiian lu'au

Example Sentences

Both of her parents are longtime employees of the luau, which started in 1986.

From Los Angeles Times

At a church luau, my dad took one look at my mom in her floral Hawaiian dress and “fell in love with me right then,” she said.

From Seattle Times

Akaka, who has been playing Hawaiian steel guitar for more than 50 years, was not initially drawn to the instrument, despite hearing it at parties and luaus while growing up.

From Los Angeles Times

Other luaus around West Maui have also reopened, or will reopen soon, offering visitors beautiful visual storytelling.

From Seattle Times

It warms my heart to see the uptick in foot traffic and downtown come back to life – more smiles, more laughter and more luau plates for the hungry, hard-working people in this city.

From Seattle Times