hongi

American  

[hong-ee] / ˈhɒŋ i /

noun

New Zealand.

1. a Maori greeting in which noses are pressed together.

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hongi British  

/ ˈhɒŋiː /

noun

1. a form of salutation expressed by touching noses

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Etymology

Origin of hongi

Borrowed into English from Maori around 1840–45

Example Sentences

He greeted his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern with a traditional Maori hongi, in which the pair pressed noses together.

From The Guardian

“If you don’t need to travel overseas, then don’t. Enjoy your own backyard for a time. Stop handshakes, hugs and hongi,” Ardern told reporters on Monday, asking them to demonstrate the east coast wave, after she did so herself, followed by her sign language interpreter, Alan Wendt.

From The Guardian

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

Te Rūnanga o Te Atiawa chairman Kura Moeahu said other tribes around the country were also grappling with whether to continue using hongi and he had been “inundated” with calls from government agencies seeking cultural advice.

From The Guardian

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