kiwi
Americannoun
plural
kiwis-
any of several flightless, ratite birds of the genus Apteryx, of New Zealand, allied to the extinct moas.
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Also called Chinese gooseberry. the egg-sized, edible berry of the Chinese gooseberry, having fuzzy brownish skin and slightly tart green flesh.
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Slang.
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a member of an air service, as in World War I, who is confined to ground duty.
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a former pilot or member of a flight crew.
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Informal. a New Zealander.
noun
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any nocturnal flightless New Zealand bird of the genus Apteryx, having a long beak, stout legs, and weakly barbed feathers: order Apterygiformes See ratite
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short for kiwi fruit
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informal a New Zealander
Etymology
Origin of kiwi
Borrowed into English from Maori around 1825–35
Explanation
A kiwi is a sweet fruit that's originally from China but today is most often grown in New Zealand. See that little green fruit with tiny edible seeds in your fruit salad? It's kiwi! New Zealanders use the word kiwi for a chicken-sized, flightless bird, or sometimes as a nickname for a person from New Zealand. The small, fuzzy-skinned fruit that North Americans call kiwi is known as either kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry in New Zealand. The word kiwi first referred to the bird, and it comes from Maori.
Vocabulary lists containing kiwi
Amazing Animals, List 1
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Australia and New Zealand - Introductory
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Australia and New Zealand - Middle School and High School
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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.
Key exports from India include basmati rice, sugar, fresh fruits and pharmaceuticals, while major imports include pistachios, apples, kiwi and dates.
From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026
Meanwhile, beyond the gates and gawking tourists, stoats will gobble kiwi eggs and possums will devour our rata leaves.
From Slate • Aug. 8, 2025
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".
From BBC • May 1, 2025
Or maybe they just have an effective rebrand, as did the kiwi — formerly called the Chinese gooseberry.
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024
And Lord knows, she might even like one of these fancy ones with the kiwi and passion fruit and all that mixed up in there.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
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.
