nene

American  

[ney-ney] / ˈneɪ neɪ /

noun

nene plural

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

Noun Inflected Forms

• nene
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nene

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nene

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

The nene geese are listed as an endangered species under Hawaii state law and a threatened species under U.S. law.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2023

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

The nene goose, the state bird, was rescued from the brink of extinction through captive breeding and careful releases.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 25, 2016

Ne and nene are frequently used as substitutes for the article and the relative pronouns.

From The Iroquois Book of Rites by Hale, Horatio