n. pl. ki·wis 1. Any of several flightless birds of the genus Apteryx native to New Zealand, having vestigial wings and a long slender bill. Also called apteryx. 2. Informal A New Zealander. 3. A kiwifruit. [Maori, imitative of the call of male kiwis. Sense 3, short for KIWIFRUIT.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.