kiwi

[kee-wee]

noun, plural ki·wis.

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

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

Slang.

a member of an air service, as in World War I, who is confined to ground duty.
a former pilot or member of a flight crew.

Informal. a New Zealander.

Origin of kiwi

Borrowed into English from Maori around 1825–35

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for kiwis

Contemporary Examples of kiwis

Then they beat the living daylights out of the Kiwis, 98-71.
Cartoon Streetfights, Giant Mutant Spider Dogs, and More Viral Videos
Jack Holmes
September 7, 2014
Of the 29 miners, 24 are Kiwis, two are Australians, two are Britons and one is a South African.
Trapped for 72 Hours
Tami Abdollah
November 21, 2010
If by some miracle New Zealand can win, then the Kiwis are guaranteed to go through.
World Cup Primer
Joshua Robinson
June 12, 2010

Historical Examples of kiwis

Because they roam about so much at night, the kiwis sleep much of the day.
The Adventures of a Grain of Dust
Hallam Hawksworth
Then we went into the Ostrich House and thoroughly searched two Kiwis.
The Journal of a Disappointed Man
Wilhelm Nero Pilate Barbellion
They confound their parents daily with questions relating to the habits of marmots or the language of kiwis.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, December 1, 1920
Various
And such a funny thing for a bird to do, the kiwis go about with their noses to the ground like a dog smelling after a rat.
The Adventures of a Grain of Dust
Hallam Hawksworth

British Dictionary definitions for kiwis

Kiwis

pl n

the Kiwis the men's international Rugby League football team of New Zealand

kiwi

noun plural kiwis

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

short for kiwi fruit

informal a New Zealander

Word Origin for kiwi

C19: from Māori, of imitative origin

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

Word Origin and History for kiwis

kiwi

type of flightless bird, 1835, from Maori kiwi, said to be of imitative origin. As slang for "a New Zealander," it is attested from 1918. The kiwi fruit (Actinia chinesis), was so called in U.S. from c.1966 when it was imported there, but it is known in New Zealand as Chinese gooseberry (1925).