Meanings
nounkiyi (plural kiyis)
plural kiyis
- USslanggovernmentAn official letter informing of a person killed in action.
You know that Doc's been treating him for melancholy and depression... ever since he got that kiyi about his son... … Kiyi: K.I.A.: Killed In Action letter from the War Dept.
1940s, Sam Glanzman, "The Kiyi", in Our Army at War #258, July 1973
Origin
From the pronunciation of the abbreviation KIA (killed in action).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Russian похоро́нка, похоро́нная
- похоро́нка (poxorónka)an official letter informing of a person killed in action
- похоро́нная (poxorónnaja)an official letter informing of a person killed in action
Ukrainian похоро́нна, похоро́нка
- похоро́нна (poxorónna)an official letter informing of a person killed in action
- похоро́нка (poxorónka)an official letter informing of a person killed in action
Cite this entry
APA
kiyi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiyi
MLA
“kiyi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiyi. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kiyi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiyi.
Source: kiyi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.