Kahoolawe

American  

[kah-hoh-oh-lah-way, -vay] / kɑˈhoʊ oʊˈlɑ weɪ, -veɪ /

Or Kaho'olawe

noun

1. 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

See Examples For:

Kahoolawe

A hurricane warning was in effect for Hawaii County, which covers the Big Island, and a tropical storm warning held for the islands of Maui, Molokai and Kahoolawe to its northwest.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

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

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2022

He and other Native Hawaiian men hid on the small island of Kahoolawe that the military used for bombing practice.

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

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

From On the Makaloa Mat by Jack London