ENGLISH
REFERENCE

kiwi

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈkiwi// UK //kˈiːwiː// ki·wi Informal Slang

n. a small fruit with brown, fuzzy skin and bright green flesh inside. It can also refer to a flightless bird from New Zealand or be a nickname for a person from that country.

n. refers to the edible berry of a woody vine (Actinidia deliciosa), a flightless ratite bird endemic to New Zealand, or a demonym for a New Zealander. The military sense mentioned in metadata is a specific application of the demonym.


SIMPLE

I usually eat a kiwi for breakfast because it has a lot of vitamin C.

CONTEXTUAL

While hiking in the national park, the guide hoped to spot a kiwi in its natural habitat.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

Borrowed from Māori kiwi.

Etymology 2

Genericized trademark from the brand of shoe polish originating in Australia, from Māori kiwi.

Usage

When referring to the person, it is often capitalized; when referring to the fruit or bird, it is usually lowercase.

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