poi
Americannoun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of poi
Borrowed into English from Hawaiian around 1815–25
Explanation
Poi is a traditional Hawaiian food made from taro root. If you’re having a Hawaiian luau, get some flower leis, a ukulele player, and a big bowl of poi. Not sure about the poi? Don’t worry, it’s gluten free! Some poi is thick and dough-like, while other servings of this staple food are almost a liquid. Native Hawaiians describe poi in terms of fingers, calling it "one-finger," "two-finger," and so on, depending on how many fingers you need to scoop it up. Poi was once the name of a now-extinct Hawaiian dog breed that was fed poi and fattened to be eaten. Today, many Hawaiians use "poi dog" to mean a mixed-breed dog.
Vocabulary lists containing poi
World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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Pacific Islands - Introductory
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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.
Their promotional video shows Māori performing a traditional poi dance and the haka, a ceremonial war dance, as project leaders laud the “complete partnership” between Māori and Colossal Biosciences.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2025
In Vegetable Love, Barbara Kafka writes: "With the best will in the world, I cannot honestly give a recipe for poi, since I hate it."
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2022
KONA, Hawaii — Historic, torrential April rains on the island of Kauai wiped out much of Hawaii’s taro crops — the main ingredient in poi and a staple carb of the island diet.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 28, 2018
He might take a slab of taro-based pa‘i‘ai, a thicker, stickier antecedent to poi, char it on the grill and slip it into a hamburger bun.
From New York Times ● Aug. 6, 2018
Store-bought poi is usually dull gray, without much flavor.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
