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A.Word.A.Day--shivaree

shivaree (shiv-uh-REE) noun, also chivaree, chivari, charivari

A noisy, mock serenade to a newly married couple, involving the banging of kettles, pots and pans.

[From French charivari (din, hullabaloo).]

See more usage examples of shivaree in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

"We refrained from celebrating their marriage with primitive gestures, such as a shivaree, even though pots and pans were readily available for nocturnal banging." Julie Salamon; Ten for the Honeymoon; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Aug 27, 1986.

"Friends tried to subject them to a shivaree, but the joke was on them. The bride and groom were nowhere to be found." Friends For Life; Capital-Journal (Topeka, Kansas); Mar 21, 2004.

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