kowhai

K5O1W4H4A1I1
/ˈkoʊfaɪ//ˈkoʊwaɪ/

noun

Any of several small woody legume trees in the genus Sophora native to New Zealand that have yellow flowers. The national flower of New Zealand.

Similar
Sophora tetraptera
OriginMāori kōwhai →
RareScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounkowhai (plural kowhais)

plural kowhais

  1. Any of several small woody legume trees in the genus Sophora native to New Zealand that have yellow flowers. The national flower of New Zealand.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounshrub or small tree of New Zealand and Chile having pendulous racemes of tubular golden-yellow flowers; yields a hard strong wood

Similar
Sophora tetraptera
Broader
tree

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Māorikōwhai“yellow”
  2. Englishkowhai

From Māori kōwhai (“yellow”).

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Khowai
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: kowhai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.