kona
noun
a southwesterly winter wind in Hawaii, often strong and bringing rain.
kona
1 American
[koh-nuh]
/ ˈkoʊ nə /
noun
Kona
2
American
[koh-nah]
/ ˈkoʊ nɑ /
noun
-
a district along the west coast of the Island of Hawaii in southeastern Hawaii, divided administratively into North Kona and South Kona districts.
-
Official Name Kailua-Kona. a town in North Kona district, and the largest town in the district of Kona: the first capital, 1795–1820, of the unified Kingdom of Hawaii.
Etymology
Origin of kona1
Borrowed into English from Hawaiian around 1860–65
Origin of Kona2
From Hawaiian kona “leeward or dry side” (of the island)
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.
See Examples For:
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the entire state through Thursday as a kona low, or subtropical cyclone, west of the island chain generated moist and humid conditions.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2023
Previous studies indicate kona lows may happen less frequently as a result of climate change.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 7, 2021
A hala aku la na kamaaina, ohu mai la he wahi nalu opuu, ia manawa ka Hauailiki hee ana i kona nalu.
From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Martha Warren Beckwith
Ninau aku la hoi o Halaaniani i kona kai kuahine, "Pehea hoi oe?"
From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Martha Warren Beckwith
Aka, he mea haohao nae ia i kona mau hoa ka uwe ana, a ua akaka kana kauoha "ua pono ole, laua."
From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Martha Warren Beckwith
Five of the canceled trans-Pacific flights were to or from Kona.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
At Ellison Onizuka Kona International - Big Island's largest airport - 40% of flights were grounded, according to flightaware.com, while 80% of flights were called off at the island's other main airport, Hilo International.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
I note, “Kids listen when they are given trust and agency,” before taking off for Kona.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
Kona Hills aimed to plant about 1,000 acres, appraisal documents show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026
There were four of them—Allie, the oldest one; Matilda; Kona; and Sombo, the littlest, who was six years old.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
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.
