kiwi
/ˈkiːwi/ noun, verb, adjective, proper noun
Forms kiwis kiwiing kiwi-ing kiwied
- noun A flightless bird of the order Apterygiformes native to New Zealand.
- noun (informal) A New Zealand dollar.
- noun A kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa).
- noun (uncountable) A green-yellow colour, like that of kiwifruit flesh (also called kiwi green).
- noun (military, slang) A member of the air force who does not fly.
- noun (slang, usually in the plural) A testicle.
- noun (Singapore, military, slang) Any kind of black shoe polish.
- verb (Singapore, military, slang) To polish (boots) with black shoe polish.
- noun (informal) A New Zealander.
- adjective (informal) Of or from New Zealand.
- proper noun A rural locality in Tasman district, New Zealand.
Synonyms
apteryx kiwikiwi Chinese gooseberry kiwifruit kiwi vine Actinidia chinensis Actinidia deliciosa New Zealander kiwi fruit
Etymology
Genericized trademark from the brand of shoe polish originating in Australia, from Māori kiwi.
From kiwi, a flightless bird native to and a national symbol of New Zealand.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “kiwi”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details