kauri
/ˈkaʊɹi/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.94 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A conifer of the genus Agathis, found in Australasia and Melanesia, especially Agathis australis.
New Zealand usage; Countable; Uncountable
noun
A resinous product of the kauri tree, found in the form of yellow or brown lumps in the ground where the trees have grown. It is used for making varnish, and as a substitute for amber.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Alternative form of cowrie.
Example Sentences
- "There is an ancient legend that if the kauris disappear from New Zealand, the Maoris will also disappear."
- "He had already kicked one panel of the stout door clean out. It was inch-thick kauri timber."
- "Constructed from the native timbers rimu, kauri, or matai, the interior has been refurbished in sympathy with the era of the home."
- "New Zealand kauri is employed, principally for planking and decking"
Etymology
Borrowed from Māori kauri from Proto-Polynesian *kauquli, from *kau (“tree”) + *quli (“black”), originally referring to Samoan ebony ("Diospyros samoensis").
Word Breakdown
- Root: *kauquli