haole
[hou-lee, -ley]
- (among Polynesian Hawaiians) a term used to refer to a non-Polynesian, especially a white person.
- (among Hawaiians) a term formerly used to refer to any foreigner.
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Origin of haole
1835–45; < Hawaiian: white person, (earlier) foreigner, foreign
Usage note
Haole is usually considered to be a neutral descriptive term. However, it is sometimes used with disparaging intent, arising from a distrust of foreigners or outsiders.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for haole
Contemporary Examples of haole
The defense claims that Elderts used the term “haole”—a derogatory Hawaiian term for white people— before the fight broke out.
Historical Examples of haole
There he was, like any haole, driving straight toward the end determined.
The House of PrideJack London
So it befell at last that he was recommended to a Haole in Beritania Street.
Island Nights' EntertainmentsRobert Louis Stevenson