ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tui

n. countable
C2 Proficiency UK //tjˈuːi// tui

n. a type of large, black-and-white bird with a long tail that lives in New Zealand. It is famous for its loud, musical call and its ability to drink nectar from flowers.

n. a large, black-and-white passerine bird native to New Zealand, known for its distinctive long tail and melodic, repetitive call. It is a member of the family Meliphagidae and is a significant pollinator of native flora.


SIMPLE

The tui is one of the most common birds in the New Zealand forest.

CONTEXTUAL

While hiking through the native bush, we heard the loud, musical call of a tui echoing through the trees.

COMPLEX

The tui plays a vital ecological role as a primary pollinator, visiting hundreds of flowers daily to feed on nectar and inadvertently transferring pollen between plants.

Origin

Borrowed from Māori tūī.

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