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wahine

American

[wah-hee-nee, -ney] / wɑˈhi ni, -neɪ /

noun

plural

wahine

(in Hawaii and Polynesia) a girl or young woman.
Slang. a young woman surfer.

wahine British

/ wɑːˈhiːnɪ /

noun

(esp in the Pacific islands) a Polynesian or Māori woman, esp a girlfriend or wife

"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

Etymology

Origin of wahine

Borrowed into English from Polynesian around 1835–45

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.

These include samples of wahine noho kula, a rare violet thought to be extinct on Kauaʻi and only recently rediscovered by the surveying drone.

From Reuters • Dec. 10, 2022

The Hawaiian word "wahine" is translated in English as "woman."

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2013

Being the New Jersey surfing wahine that I am, I found your January 2006 issue with the Atlantic City Destination article in it was awesome!

From Time Magazine Archive

Denby Fowcett, 25, a Columbia University alumna, was a surfing, skindiving Hawaii wahine only a few months ago.

From Time Magazine Archive

Kumu Maka is māhū, with elements of both kāne and wahine.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023