nikau

N1I1K5A1U1

noun

A New Zealand palm, Rhopalostylis sapida, with edible pith and leaves used for building and thatching.

OriginMāori nīkau →
RareFirst used 19th c.Scrabble 9
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Meanings

nounnikau (plural nikaus)

plural nikaus

  1. New ZealandA New Zealand palm, Rhopalostylis sapida, with edible pith and leaves used for building and thatching.First known use 19th c.

    These buildings with split-paling walls and nīkau-thatched roofs would become their home for several years.

    2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 218

Origin

  1. Māorinīkau
  2. Englishnikau

Borrowed from Māori nīkau.

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

kunai
Cite this entry
APA

nikau. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nikau

MLA

“nikau.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nikau. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nikau,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nikau.

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