a state of the US in the central Pacific, consisting of over 20 volcanic islands and atolls, including Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Molokai: discovered by Captain Cook in 1778; annexed by the US in 1898; naval base at Pearl Harbor attacked by the Japanese in 1941, a major cause of US entry into World War II; became a state in 1959. Capital: Honolulu. Pop: 1 257 608 (2003 est). Area: 16 640 sq km (6425 sq miles)
Hawaiian name: Hawai`i
Former name: Sandwich Islands
Abbreviation: Ha, (with zip code) HI
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
Ha•wai•i
(hə wī′ē, -wä′-, -wä′yə, hä vä′ē),USA pronunciation n.
- Place Namesa state of the United States comprising the N Pacific islands of Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, and Oahu: a U.S. territory 1900–59;
admitted to the Union 1959. 965,000;
6424 sq. mi. (16,715 sq. km). Cap.: Honolulu. Abbr.: HI (for use with zip code), Haw. - Place Namesthe largest island of Hawaii, in the SE part. 63,468;
4021 sq. mi. (10,415 sq. km).
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'Hawaii' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Aiea
- Alaska time
- Alaska-Hawaii time
- Aloha State
- Bishop's ring
- Damien
- Diamond Head
- Ewa Beach
- Fong
- HI
- HST
- HT
- Haleakala
- Haleakala National Park
- Haleakalā
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Hawaii time
- Hawaiian
- Hawaiian Islands
- Hawaiian Pidgin
- Hawaiian shirt
- Hilo
- Honolulu
- Kahoolawe
- Kahului
- Kailua
- Kamehameha Day
- Kanaka
- Kaneohe
- Kauai
- Kidman
- Kilauea
- Kīlauea
- Lanai
- Lanikai
- Laysan
- Maui
- Mauna Kea
- Mauna Loa
- Molokai
- Oahu
- Pearl Harbor
- Sandwich Islands
- Waikiki
- aalii
- alala
- dole
- genial
- go-ahead
- hale