kiwi
Americannoun
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kiwis
plural
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any of several flightless, ratite birds of the genus Apteryx, of New Zealand, allied to the extinct moas.
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Also called Chinese gooseberry. the egg-sized, edible berry of the Chinese gooseberry, having fuzzy brownish skin and slightly tart green flesh.
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Slang.
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a member of an air service, as in World War I, who is confined to ground duty.
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a former pilot or member of a flight crew.
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Informal. a New Zealander.
noun
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any nocturnal flightless New Zealand bird of the genus Apteryx, having a long beak, stout legs, and weakly barbed feathers: order Apterygiformes See ratite
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short for kiwi fruit
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informal a New Zealander
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of kiwi
Borrowed into English from Maori around 1825–35
Explanation
A kiwi is a sweet fruit that's originally from China but today is most often grown in New Zealand. See that little green fruit with tiny edible seeds in your fruit salad? It's kiwi! New Zealanders use the word kiwi for a chicken-sized, flightless bird, or sometimes as a nickname for a person from New Zealand. The small, fuzzy-skinned fruit that North Americans call kiwi is known as either kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry in New Zealand. The word kiwi first referred to the bird, and it comes from Maori.
Vocabulary lists containing kiwi
Amazing Animals, List 1
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Australia and New Zealand - Introductory
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Australia and New Zealand - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Key exports from India include basmati rice, sugar, fresh fruits and pharmaceuticals, while major imports include pistachios, apples, kiwi and dates.
From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026
The charity shared stories from people who have been helped by the law change, including Kitty Clark, 21, who is allergic to eggs, dairy products and kiwi fruit.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025
Before humans, flightless birds like the kākāpō and kiwi thrived.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2025
As it faces habitat loss and fragmentation of its remaining habitat as well as the ravages of invasive species like domestic dogs, unmanaged kiwi populations are continuing to decline by 2% every year.
From Salon ● May 15, 2025
Hedge offered her a plate of flame-grilled waffles with fresh sliced kiwi and pineapple.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
It evoked kiwis and guavas like Twizzlers do strawberries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Instead, add a handful of berries, kiwis, or other fruits rich in fiber and antioxidants.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 21, 2026
"Be sure to get adequate protein and include foods rich in vitamin C like strawberries, kiwis, red bell peppers, and citrus fruits."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 29, 2026
Dr Dimidi recommends eating two or three kiwis throughout the day or 8-10 prunes to improve constipation.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2025
We can buy kiwis from New Zealand and grapes from Chile.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
