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ti·ki

(tēkē)

n. pl. ti·kis

1. Tiki Mythology A male figure in Polynesian myth, sometimes identified as the first man.

2. A wooden or stone image of a Polynesian god.

3. A Maori figurine representing an ancestor, often intricately carved from greenstone and worn about the neck as a talisman.

adj.

Of or relating to a simulated or exoticized representation of Polynesian culture characterized by bamboo, palm fronds, tiki figures, and tropical themes: a tiki bar; tiki drinks.

[Maori tiki, Tiki, tiki; akin to Marquesan Tiki, image, statue, tiki, and Tahitian ti‘i and Hawaiian ki‘i, image, statue.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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