Meanings
plural kiwikiwis · alternative kawakawa · alternative kiwakiwa
- countableobsoleteuncountableThe kiwi, a flightless bird of the order Apterygiformes native to New Zealand.
As there have always been very few kiwi-kiwi, and those few exceedingly hard to find, it follows naturally that the skins are very scarce, and consequently highly prized.
1883, Sunshine at Home: Sparkling Pages for the Child, the Youth, the Parent : a Family Portfolio of Natural History, Biography, and Bible Scenes, Review and Herald, page 1071 more example
The kiwikiwi, or Apteryx Australis, placed under the head of Struthionidæ, by Mr. Gould, who has admirably figured the male and female, in his splendid work on Australian birds, is the most curious specimen of ornithology in New Zealand.
1838, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Volume 32, J. Limbird - countableuncountableA star fern or creek fern, of species Blechnum fluviatie.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Māorikiwikiwi
- Englishkiwikiwi
Borrowed from Māori kiwikiwi.
More words from Māori
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
kiwikiwi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiwikiwi
“kiwikiwi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiwikiwi. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kiwikiwi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiwikiwi.
Source: kiwikiwi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.