Etymology

Pearl Harbor

Today it means: A sneak attack, often using underhanded measures. Full definition →

Hawaiian Wai Momi
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The story

  1. Hawaiian · calque ofWai Momi“pearl water”
  2. English todayPearl Harbor

Calque of Hawaiian Wai Momi (“pearl water”). The extended senses allude to the surprise attack executed by the Imperial Japanese Navy on the harbor on December 7, 1941.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.