"poi" meaning in English

See poi in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /pɔɪ/ [General-American, UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-poi.wav [Southern-England]
Rhymes: -ɔɪ Etymology: Borrowed from Hawaiian poi. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|haw|poi}} Hawaiian poi Head templates: {{en-noun|-}} poi (uncountable)
  1. (Hawaii) The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment. Tags: Hawaii, uncountable
    Sense id: en-poi-en-noun-PDnrLFrF Categories (other): Hawaiian English
  2. A creamy Samoan dessert of ripe bananas mashed with coconut cream. Tags: uncountable
    Sense id: en-poi-en-noun-7acXoohp
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /pɔɪ/ [General-American, UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-poi.wav [Southern-England] Forms: poi [plural], pois [plural]
Rhymes: -ɔɪ Etymology: Borrowed from Maori poi. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|mi|poi}} Maori poi Head templates: {{en-noun|poi|s}} poi (plural poi or pois)
  1. (New Zealand) A small ball made of leaves and fibres, attached to a string. Tags: New-Zealand
    Sense id: en-poi-en-noun-mfsvLz1Q Categories (other): New Zealand English, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 21 8 46 25
  2. (New Zealand) A traditional dance performed by Maori women involving the rhythmic swinging of such a ball. Tags: New-Zealand
    Sense id: en-poi-en-noun-rCWiv6gA Categories (other): New Zealand English
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for poi meaning in English (5.0kB)

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "haw",
        "3": "poi"
      },
      "expansion": "Hawaiian poi",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Hawaiian poi.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "poi (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Hawaiian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, Julia Flynn Siler, Lost Kingdom, Grove Press, page 104",
          "text": "It was a far cry from the traditional Hawaiian feast, which always included the beloved poi, a purplish paste made from pounded taro root […].",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment."
      ],
      "id": "en-poi-en-noun-PDnrLFrF",
      "links": [
        [
          "Hawaii",
          "Hawaii"
        ],
        [
          "baking",
          "bake"
        ],
        [
          "pounding",
          "pound"
        ],
        [
          "kalo",
          "kalo"
        ],
        [
          "taro",
          "taro"
        ],
        [
          "root",
          "root"
        ],
        [
          "reducing",
          "reduce"
        ],
        [
          "paste",
          "paste"
        ],
        [
          "ferment",
          "ferment"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Hawaii) The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Hawaii",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A creamy Samoan dessert of ripe bananas mashed with coconut cream."
      ],
      "id": "en-poi-en-noun-7acXoohp",
      "links": [
        [
          "Samoan",
          "Samoan"
        ],
        [
          "dessert",
          "dessert"
        ],
        [
          "banana",
          "banana"
        ],
        [
          "coconut",
          "coconut"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɔɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔɪ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-poi.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/fe/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-poi.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-poi.wav.mp3",
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      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "poi"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mi",
        "3": "poi"
      },
      "expansion": "Maori poi",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Maori poi.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "poi",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pois",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "poi",
        "2": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "poi (plural poi or pois)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "New Zealand English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 8 46 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008, Ellen Koskoff, “Haka poi”, in The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Routledge, page 738",
          "text": "Warriors formerly used poi actions to maintain wrist flexibility, but poi have developed as a women's dance. Classic poi dances and songs are reputed to have been those of the people of the Taranaki, Rotorua, and Whanganui tribal areas, but poi are now performed everywhere in Aotearoa.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Catriona Rainsford, The Urban Circus: Travels with Mexico's Malabaristas, Bradt Travel Guides, page 18",
          "text": "A couple of days later Trico announced that, if I were to travel with them, it was imperative that I learn some form of malabares, or circus skill. The available options were poi, staff or juggling. ‘Poi’, the form of malabares that Sandra played, are two balls at the end of chains which are spun in patterns around the body. When the balls are replaced by wicks soaked in gasoline and set alight, the poi ‘spin fire’.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small ball made of leaves and fibres, attached to a string."
      ],
      "id": "en-poi-en-noun-mfsvLz1Q",
      "links": [
        [
          "ball",
          "ball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(New Zealand) A small ball made of leaves and fibres, attached to a string."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "New Zealand English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A traditional dance performed by Maori women involving the rhythmic swinging of such a ball."
      ],
      "id": "en-poi-en-noun-rCWiv6gA",
      "links": [
        [
          "dance",
          "dance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(New Zealand) A traditional dance performed by Maori women involving the rhythmic swinging of such a ball."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɔɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔɪ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-poi.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/fe/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-poi.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-poi.wav.mp3",
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      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "poi"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 1-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English indeclinable nouns",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English nouns with irregular plurals",
    "English terms borrowed from Hawaiian",
    "English terms borrowed from Maori",
    "English terms derived from Hawaiian",
    "English terms derived from Maori",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔɪ",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔɪ/1 syllable"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "haw",
        "3": "poi"
      },
      "expansion": "Hawaiian poi",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Hawaiian poi.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "poi (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Hawaiian English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, Julia Flynn Siler, Lost Kingdom, Grove Press, page 104",
          "text": "It was a far cry from the traditional Hawaiian feast, which always included the beloved poi, a purplish paste made from pounded taro root […].",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Hawaii",
          "Hawaii"
        ],
        [
          "baking",
          "bake"
        ],
        [
          "pounding",
          "pound"
        ],
        [
          "kalo",
          "kalo"
        ],
        [
          "taro",
          "taro"
        ],
        [
          "root",
          "root"
        ],
        [
          "reducing",
          "reduce"
        ],
        [
          "paste",
          "paste"
        ],
        [
          "ferment",
          "ferment"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Hawaii) The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Hawaii",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A creamy Samoan dessert of ripe bananas mashed with coconut cream."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Samoan",
          "Samoan"
        ],
        [
          "dessert",
          "dessert"
        ],
        [
          "banana",
          "banana"
        ],
        [
          "coconut",
          "coconut"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɔɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔɪ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-poi.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/fe/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-poi.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-poi.wav.mp3",
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      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "poi"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 1-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English indeclinable nouns",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English nouns with irregular plurals",
    "English terms borrowed from Maori",
    "English terms derived from Maori",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔɪ",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔɪ/1 syllable"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mi",
        "3": "poi"
      },
      "expansion": "Maori poi",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Maori poi.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "poi",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pois",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "poi",
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      },
      "expansion": "poi (plural poi or pois)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "New Zealand English"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008, Ellen Koskoff, “Haka poi”, in The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Routledge, page 738",
          "text": "Warriors formerly used poi actions to maintain wrist flexibility, but poi have developed as a women's dance. Classic poi dances and songs are reputed to have been those of the people of the Taranaki, Rotorua, and Whanganui tribal areas, but poi are now performed everywhere in Aotearoa.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Catriona Rainsford, The Urban Circus: Travels with Mexico's Malabaristas, Bradt Travel Guides, page 18",
          "text": "A couple of days later Trico announced that, if I were to travel with them, it was imperative that I learn some form of malabares, or circus skill. The available options were poi, staff or juggling. ‘Poi’, the form of malabares that Sandra played, are two balls at the end of chains which are spun in patterns around the body. When the balls are replaced by wicks soaked in gasoline and set alight, the poi ‘spin fire’.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small ball made of leaves and fibres, attached to a string."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ball",
          "ball"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(New Zealand) A small ball made of leaves and fibres, attached to a string."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "New Zealand English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A traditional dance performed by Maori women involving the rhythmic swinging of such a ball."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dance",
          "dance"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(New Zealand) A traditional dance performed by Maori women involving the rhythmic swinging of such a ball."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "New-Zealand"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɔɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔɪ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-poi.wav",
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      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "poi"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (a644e18 and edd475d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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