pau hana

noun

The time after work. It is considered a time for relaxation, informal socializing with friends and family, and enjoyment.

OriginHawaiian pau hana →
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Meanings

noun
  1. The time after work. It is considered a time for relaxation, informal socializing with friends and family, and enjoyment.

    With the last passenger off the bus, the driver hoists the sign, "out of service" and it is pau hana.

    2001, Kenneth Smith, chapter 3, in Parables from Paradise

Origin

  1. Hawaiianpau hana
  2. Englishpau hana

From Hawaiian Pidgin English pau hana, from Hawaiian pau hana.

More words from Hawaiian

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pau hana. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pau%20hana

MLA

“pau hana.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pau%20hana. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pau hana,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pau%20hana.

Source: pau hana on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.