pali
noun
(in Hawaii) a steep slope or cliff.
pali
1 American
[pah-lee]
/ ˈpɑ li /
noun
Pali
2
American
[pah-lee]
/ ˈpɑ li /
noun
Pali
British
/ ˈpɑːlɪ /
noun
Etymology
Origin of pali1
From Hawaiian
Origin of Pali2
1685–95; short for Sanskrit pāli-bhāsa language of the canonical texts, equivalent to pāli line, row, canon + bhāsa language
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.
See Examples For:
A red British passport was a prized possession for those who had been in the UK long enough to own one alongside the Nigerian document, known as a green pali.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 24, 2019
Ho’omaluhia Botanic Garden, at the foot of the pali, is richly replanted in native species.
From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2011
"A pau kau hana, alaila, mai kali, e lawe koke aku ia lakou ma keia po no i Kauai, a hoonoho i na pali o Haena, iuka o Honopuwaiakua."
From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Beckwith, Martha Warren
Paliula wanted to see the one who had such a sweet voice, so went along the pali and came to a hula house, but the house was closed tight and she could not look in.
From Legends of Gods and Ghosts (Hawaiian Mythology) Collected and Translated from the Hawaiian by Westervelt, W. D. (William Drake)
The mele next given takes its local color from Kauai and brings vividly to mind the experiences of one who has climbed the mountain walls pali, that buffet the winds of its northern coast.
From Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula by Emerson, Nathaniel Bright
The Build Back Pali grant — which was contingent on Blanck signing a lease in the Palisades — covered his deposit and several months of rent, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
To reopen relatively quickly — before reconstruction was completed — Pali High made strategic use of the campus’ expansive grounds — essentially converting green areas, notably the baseball field, into land for temporary buildings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
Likely composed by the earliest Buddhist nuns in a variety of Indian languages between 600 and 300 B.C., the verses were later anthologized in Pali, the scriptural language of Theravada Buddhism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
The 2025 Palisades fire destroyed multiple buildings on Pali High’s campus and deposited soot and ash in others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026
It was funny to think of Henry, with his little round glasses and his books in Pali, breaking Spike Romney’s collarbone.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
