nene

American  

[ney-ney] / ˈneɪ neɪ /

noun

1. a barred, gray-brown wild goose, Nesochen sandvicensis, native to Hawaii, where it is the state bird.

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nene British  

/ ˈneɪˌneɪ /

noun

1. a rare black-and-grey short-winged Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, having partly webbed feet

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• nene
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nene

First recorded in 1900–05, nene is from the Hawaiian word nēnē

Example Sentences

Anything can happen, he says—sometimes that means an eruption, sometimes a run-in with a nene, Hawaii’s endemic goose.

From Slate • Jul. 28, 2023

It also cited the threat to nene from toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease spread by cat feces.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2023

Maui is a veritable Eden for species such as the wedge-tailed shearwater, white-tailed tropicbird, brown booby, myna, kiwikiu and nene — the state bird and the world’s rarest goose.

From Washington Post • Nov. 3, 2022

The money was used to pay law enforcement staff and rangers, including one who monitors endangered nene, or Hawaiian goose.

From Washington Times • Jan. 5, 2019

Onenh are oya eghdejisewayudoreghdonh, nene isewenh: 'Yahhonghdehdeyoyanere nene kenwedewayen, onwa enyeken nonkwaderesera; kadykenh niyakoghswathah, akwekonh nityakawenonhtonh ne kenyoteranentenyonhah.

From The Iroquois Book of Rites by Hale, Horatio