Kahoolawe

American

[kah-hoh-oh-lah-wey, -vey] / kɑˈhoʊ oʊˈlɑ weɪ, -veɪ /

Or Kaho'olawe

noun

an uninhabited island in central Hawaii, south of Maui: limited by state law to such uses as Native Hawaiian spiritual and cultural purposes, historic preservation, education, and environmental restoration. 45 sq. mi. (117 sq. km).

Etymology

Origin of Kahoolawe

First recorded in 1900–05; from Hawaiian kahoʻolawe “free”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Activist protests got the Navy to stop bombing Kahoolawe Island for target practice in 1990.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2022

“When we got involved with Kahoolawe, we had no language, no history.”

From Washington Times • Jul. 20, 2019

The restrictions would apply within two miles off the coast of the Hawaiian islands, plus an area between the islands of Lanai, Maui and Kahoolawe.

From New York Times • Aug. 25, 2016

Kahoolawe, an island considered spiritually important to Hawaiians, was used as test-bombing site by the US army until the 1990s.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2015

I was born in a double-canoe, during a Kona gale, in the channel of Kahoolawe.

From On the Makaloa Mat by London, Jack

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023