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.
The ministry of health said it had placed no restrictions on hongi and was leaving it up to iwi to make their own decisions around the issue.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 4, 2020
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
He pressed noses with Maori leaders in a traditional greeting called a "hongi" and met with military representatives.
From US News ● May 9, 2015
Elders from Wellington's Maori community honoured William with the traditional nose-pressing greeting, the hongi, as he arrived at the court building.
From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2010
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.
