paua

[ pou-uh ]

noun

1. a large, edible abalone of New Zealand, Haliotis iris, the shell of which is used in making jewelry.

paua

/ ˈpɑːʊɑ /

noun

1. an edible abalone, Haliotis iris, of New Zealand, having an iridescent shell used esp for jewellery

Word History and Origins

Origin of paua¹

Borrowed into English from Maori around 1810–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of paua¹

from Māori

Example Sentences

The bride's hairdresser, Tane Tomoana, shared pictures of "paua and snapper" rolls enjoyed by guests.

From BBC

“Crayfish was probably as close as you’ve got to it — but now kina has become a real delicacy, and paua is so hot everywhere.”

From New York Times

You find the usual woolly imported frozen prawns, but also many ingredients you simply cannot find elsewhere: pipi, a small native clam; paua, a dark, velvety abalone; native crayfish; kina, a kind of iodine-rich sea urchin; local oysters; green-shelled mussels the size of a business card.

From New York Times

“When I grew up, I don’t think anyone ever ate paua,” she said.

From New York Times

“Having done conservation projects for so many years, humans tend to react only when there’s a crisis, and the crisis point is often too late to save anything,” says the wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan, wearing a set of kiwi earrings cut from paua shells.

From The Guardian