Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An outdoor fire in a camp, used for cooking or warmth.
  • noun A meeting held around such a fire.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun fire at a campground or on a camping trip, often used for cooking, to provide light and heat, to drive away bugs, and as a focal point for sitting around in the evening and talking, telling stories, and singing.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a small outdoor fire for warmth or cooking (as at a camp)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

camp +‎ fire

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Examples

  • The boys assume the castle must be near them, since their campfire is at the edge of a forest.

    Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies - Film Threat 2007

  • Word around the campfire is Phillip Seymour Hoffman* and Viggo Mortensen (fresh off Eastern Promises**) are set to star in Vanikoro for Hitman director Xavier Gens.

    HOFFMAN, MORTENSEN WRECK THE ASTROLABE 2008

  • As for Sen. McCain, anything he can do to set himself up as the political independent he once claimed to be so he can have a shot at the nomination works for him, and pissing on the Bush campfire is just the ticket.

    September 2006 2006

  • But the persistent smell, countywide, of campfire is still with us, and authorities say that they don't hope to have control of the fires for several more days.

    Boing Boing: October 26, 2003 - November 1, 2003 Archives 2003

  • A campfire is built, the rigs are baited and cast, and the rods are propped on forked sticks or placed in holders.

    Dark Waters, Moonless Nights 1999

  • It’s a place for affluent travelers who want to enjoy the outdoors but can’t fathom using a smelly outhouse, a place where paying someone to light the campfire is a badge of honor, not the mark of a Boy Scout flunky.

    New Fad: Posh Camping, Butler Included | Impact Lab 2007

  • A bunch of pussies drinking Natty Light and jacking each other off around the campfire is hardly a fighting force ….

    Think Progress » Jindal: ‘It Hurts Our Feelings’ To Be Called The ‘Party of No’ 2010

  • … Well, word around the unsubstantiated rumor campfire is that Robert Zemeckis’ next project will be a motion-capture CGI version of A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey playing Ebenezer Scrooge.

    ZEMECKIS, CARREY SUCK DICKENS 2007

  • Anyway, the word around the campfire is that Justice League of America may be called American Heroes now – which would be funny considering the GI Joe movie coming out and its Real American Heroes tagline – though probably won’t matter since JLA probably won’t ever get made.

    JLA MAYBE PROLLY CALLED AMERICAN HEROES? 2007

  • The campfire is an important ritual in my life that I look forward to every year when I visit here, but it is also a reminder of the man I am proud to call my friend, colleague, and mentor.

    Steve and Me Terri Irwin 2007

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