hei-tiki

New Zealand/ˌhæeˈtiki/UK/ˌheɪˈtɪki/

noun

An ornamental pendant (typically made of pounamu or greenstone) among the Māori, worn around the neck, representing a human figure traditionally connected with Tiki, the first human in Maori mythology.

OriginMāori heitiki →
First used 19th c.
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Meanings

nounhei-tiki (plural hei-tiki or hei-tikis)

plural hei-tikis · alternative heitiki · alternative hei tiki

  1. New ZealandAn ornamental pendant (typically made of pounamu or greenstone) among the Māori, worn around the neck, representing a human figure traditionally connected with Tiki, the first human in Maori mythology.First known use 19th c.

    The ability to work stone and bone was also prized, for the production of essential tools such as adzes and fishhooks, and for the quality of ornaments such as pendants and hei tiki.

    2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 74

Origin

  1. Māoriheitiki
  2. Englishhei-tiki

Borrowed from Māori heitiki, from hei (“to tie around the neck; scarf, pendant”) + tiki (“carving of a human figure”).

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hei-tiki. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hei-tiki

MLA

“hei-tiki.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hei-tiki. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hei-tiki,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hei-tiki.

Source: hei-tiki on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.