hongi
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of hongi
Borrowed into English from Maori around 1840–45
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.
A hongi is a traditional form of greeting in which two people press their noses to each other and inhale one another’s breath.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 4, 2020
A Māori tribe in New Zealand’s capital city has banned the traditional hongi at gatherings this week as more cases of coronavirus emerge.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 4, 2020
He pressed noses with Maori leaders in a traditional greeting called a "hongi" and met with military representatives.
From US News ● May 9, 2015
The traditional Maori greeting involves pressing the noses together The Prince of Wales and his wife have greeted prominent Antipodeans at a London reception, and performed a hongi - a traditional Maori greeting.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2013
Kokutai no hongi: cardinal principles of the national entity of Japan.
From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1977 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office
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.
