Hawaiian

[huh-wahy-uhn, -wah-yuhn]

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

2. the aboriginal language of Hawaii, a Polynesian language.

Hawaiian

/ həˈwaɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii, its people, or their language

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii, esp one descended from Melanesian or Tahitian immigrants

2. a language of Hawaii belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hawaiian¹

First recorded in 1815–25; Hawaii + -an

Example Sentences

The Hawaiian shirts fairly scream to be put on, the sunscreen smells appealingly like coconut—and yet you spend the day in bed, glued to the hotel television.

Read more on Literature

Similar vocal patterns were detected across the Hawaiian Archipelago, and calling rates increased in areas with larger seal populations.

Read more on Science Daily

He and his colleagues set out to determine exactly how much squid Hawaiian short-finned pilot whales rely on.

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Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes located in the Hawaiian Islands.

Read more on Barron's

Maybe that bin of Beanie Babies isn’t going to pay for your next Hawaiian vacation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal