iiwi

or 'i·'i·wi

[ ee-ee-wee ]

noun

1. a Hawaiian honeycreeper, Vestiaria coccinea, having a red body, black wings, and a deeply curved pinkish-red bill.

Word History and Origins

Origin of iiwi¹

First recorded 1885–90; from Hawaiian ʿiʿiwi, derivative of ʿiwi “reddish;” compare earlier eeeeve (1779)

Example Sentences

The meles tell of their love in the Pulou ravine, where they caught the bright iiwi birds, and the scarlet apapani.

From Project Gutenberg

Sometimes the iiwi (a small red bird) fluttered in the air and uttered its shrill, happy song, and Maui saw and heard.

From Project Gutenberg