Kiwi

Kiwi

Noun · /ˈkiː.wiː/

Definition

A small flightless bird native to New Zealand with hairlike brown feathers and a long bill; the kiwifruit, a fruit with brown skin and green flesh; informal term for a New Zealander.

Origin

From Māori kiwi, the name of the bird, imitative of its distinctive nocturnal call. The fruit was originally called the Chinese gooseberry when introduced from China; it was renamed kiwifruit in the 1950s-60s for export marketing, named after the bird as a New Zealand symbol. Used in English from the early 19th century.