Chautauqua: Meaning and Definition of

Chau•tau•qua

Pronunciation: (shu-tô'kwu, chu-), [key]
— n.
  1. a lake in SW New York. 18 mi. (29 km) long.
  2. a village on this lake: summer educational center.
  3. an annual educational meeting, originating in this village in 1874, providing public lectures, concerts, and dramatic performances during the summer months, usually in an outdoor setting.
  4. (usually l.c.) any similar assembly, esp. one of a number meeting in a circuit of communities.
—adj.
  1. of or pertaining to a system of education flourishing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, originating at Lake Chautauqua, New York.
  2. (usually l.c.) pertaining to a chautauqua: a chautauqua program.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.