Illustration of kiwi
- kiwi 1
1
: any of a small genus (Apteryx) of flightless New Zealand birds with rudimentary wings, stout legs, a long bill, and grayish brown hairlike plumage
2
capitalized
: a native or resident of New Zealand
—used as a nickname
3
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A kiwi is any of three species of chicken-sized, grayish brown flightless birds found in New Zealand. Their Maori name refers to the male's shrill call. Kiwis have vestigial wings hidden within the plumage; nostrils at the tip (rather than the base) of the long flexible bill; soft, hairlike feathers; and stout, muscular legs. Each of the four toes has a large claw. Kiwis live in forests, where they sleep by day and forage for worms, insects and their larvae, and berries at night. They run swiftly and use their claws in defense when cornered.
Examples of kiwi in a Sentence
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Sinking kiwi cities The combination of high-resolution InSAR data and GeoNet’s GNSS data allowed Kearse and his colleagues to measure vertical land movement between 2018 and 2021 at major urban coastal strips around the country; namely, Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.
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Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Serotonin-rich foods include bananas, kiwi, pineapple, plums, and walnuts.20
Melatonin: Regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
—Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 14 Apr. 2025
Top foods: Oranges, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
The Tropical Bloom blends a citrusy mandarin, kiwi and a passion fruit.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
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Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Serotonin-rich foods include bananas, kiwi, pineapple, plums, and walnuts.20
Melatonin: Regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
—Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 14 Apr. 2025
Top foods: Oranges, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
The Tropical Bloom blends a citrusy mandarin, kiwi and a passion fruit.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kiwi
Cite this Entry
“Kiwi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kiwi. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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