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
A traditional Polynesian dish, poi is made by mashing the taro plant and can be eaten as a sweet dish, or fermented and enjoyed as a savory, sour side dish.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2021
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
If you gotta have poi, the Old Lahaina Luau on Front Street in Lahaina offers the pig, the poi, the sunset and the show, fire dancers included.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 29, 2016
“That’s so cool. Poi is my favorite food. When we lived in Seattle, I even brought poi once for show-and-tell.”
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.
