kiwi

[kee-wee]

noun

plural

kiwis 

1. any of several flightless, ratite birds of the genus Apteryx, of New Zealand, allied to the extinct moas.

2. Also called Chinese gooseberry. the egg-sized, edible berry of the Chinese gooseberry, having fuzzy brownish skin and slightly tart green flesh.

3. Slang.

   1. a member of an air service, as in World War I, who is confined to ground duty.

   2. a former pilot or member of a flight crew.

4. Informal.,  a New Zealander.

kiwi

/ ˈkiːwiː /

noun

1. any nocturnal flightless New Zealand bird of the genus Apteryx, having a long beak, stout legs, and weakly barbed feathers: order Apterygiformes See ratite

2. short for kiwi fruit

3. informal,  a New Zealander

Word History and Origins

Origin of kiwi¹

Borrowed into English from Maori around 1825–35

Word History and Origins

Origin of kiwi¹

C19: from Māori, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

New Zealand’s native animals, including flightless birds like the kiwi, evolved without ground-dwelling mammalian predators.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The charity shared stories from people who have been helped by the law change, including Kitty Clark, 21, who is allergic to eggs, dairy products and kiwi fruit.

Read more on BBC

“Let’s bring them back. You want kiwis? Bring them back.”

Read more on Salon

Ms Dove, of Kew's kitchen garden, said that while "traditional" fruits like apples were struggling, "the warm spring means crops like citrus, kiwi, and tropical plants are thriving earlier, with longer seasons and better yields".

Read more on BBC

On Sunday, he picks double the number of kiwis he did on Friday, but five of them were a bit smaller than average.

Read more on Los Angeles Times