kiva

[ kee-vuh ]

/ ˈki və /

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noun

a large chamber, often wholly or partly underground, in a Pueblo Indian village, used for religious ceremonies and other purposes.

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Origin of kiva

1870–75, Americanism;<Hopi kíva (ki- house + unidentified element)

Words nearby kiva

kitty-cornered, Kittyhawk, Kitwe, Kitzbühel, Kiushu, kiva, kiver, Kivu, Kiwanis, Kiwano, kiwi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use kiva in a sentence

Kiva is a nonprofit microfinance organization that allows users to loan money worldwide.
This Week’s Hot Reads: March 18, 2013|Jimmy So, G. Clay Whittaker|March 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On ne sait pas quel animal elles out appartenu, mais on les transporte dans le Khoragur (Kiva), o elles se vendent grand prix.
Mythical Monsters|Charles Gould
The kiva rituals are rich in symbolism and last eight days, if young men are to be initiated, otherwise four.
The Unwritten Literature of the Hopi|Hattie Greene Lockett
If one knows no better than to try to pry into kiva ceremonies, he is courteously but firmly told to move along.
The Unwritten Literature of the Hopi|Hattie Greene Lockett

In passing from the kiva through the village the Indian screens his face with a blanket, so as not to see the women as he passes.
The Religious Life of the Zui Child|(Mrs.) Tilly E. (Matilda Coxe Evans) Stevenson
This ceremony over, they return to their respective kivas, having put on their masks before leaving the Kiva of the Earth.
The Religious Life of the Zui Child|(Mrs.) Tilly E. (Matilda Coxe Evans) Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for kiva

kiva

/ (ˈkiːvə) /

noun

a large underground or partly underground room in a Pueblo Indian village, used chiefly for religious ceremonies

Word Origin for kiva

from Hopi

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012