tiki

[ tee-kee ]

noun
  1. (initial capital letter) (in Polynesian mythology) the first man on earth.

  2. (in Polynesian cultures) a carved image, as of a god or ancestor, sometimes worn as a pendant around the neck.

Origin of tiki

1
1875–80; <Maori and Marquesan

Words Nearby tiki

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tiki in a sentence

  • I have never looked upon Brutus as anything of an original genius; but tiki Whenua most certainly was.

    Old New Zealand: | 'A Pakeha Maori' [Frederick Edwa [Maning]
  • tiki Tiu closed his eyes and let blue smoke filter through his nostrils.

  • He mentioned his disappointment at these evidences of civilization to tiki Tiu, the astute native who kept the general store.

  • He prudently decided to stay in his cave until the sails of tiki Tiu's schooner hove in sight.

British Dictionary definitions for tiki

tiki

/ (ˈtiːkɪ) /


noun
  1. an amulet or figurine in the form of a carved representation of an ancestor, worn in some Māori cultures

verb
  1. (intr) NZ to take a scenic tour around an area

Origin of tiki

1
from Māori

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012