Kiwi

UK: 'kiwi', 'Kiwi': /ˈkiːwiː/ US: /ˈkiwi/ ,(kē′wē)

Inflections of 'kiwi' (n): npl: kiwis

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ki•wi /ˈkiwi/   n. [countable] , pl. -wis. 

1. Birds a bird like an ostrich that cannot fly and that is active during the night.
2. Plant Biology, Food Also called ki•wi•fruit /ˈkiwiˌfrut/.  the egg-sized berry of the Chinese gooseberry, having fuzzy brownish skin and tasty green flesh.
3. Language Varieties, Informal Terms [Informal.] a New Zealander.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ki•wi  (kē′wē), n., pl. -wis. 

1. Birds any of several flightless, ratite birds of the genus Apteryx, of New Zealand, allied to the extinct moas.
2. Plant Biology, Food Also called Chinese gooseberry. the egg-sized, edible berry of the Chinese gooseberry, having fuzzy brownish skin and slightly tart green flesh.
3. Military [Slang.]
   • a member of an air service, as in World War I, who is confined to ground duty.
   • a former pilot or member of a flight crew.
4. Informal Terms a New Zealander.

• Maori
• 1825–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

kiwi / ˈkiːwiː/ noun

1. (kiwis, kiwi) any nocturnal flightless New Zealand bird of the genus Apteryx, having a long beak, stout legs, and weakly barbed feathers: order Apterygiformes
   See ratite
2. short for kiwi fruit
3. a New Zealander

Etymology: 19th Century: from Māori, of imitative origin