poi
/pɔɪ/ noun
Forms pois
- noun (Hawaii) The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment.
- noun A creamy Samoan dessert of ripe bananas mashed with coconut cream.
- noun (New Zealand) A small ball made of leaves and fibres, attached to a string.
- noun (New Zealand) A traditional dance performed by Maori women involving the rhythmic swinging of such a ball.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hawaiian poi.
Borrowed from Māori poi.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “poi”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details