Definition of Kiwi

Description

A kiwi is any of three species of chicken-sized, grayish brown flightless birds found in New Zealand. Their Maori name refers to the male’s shrill call. Kiwis have vestigial wings hidden within the plumage; nostrils at the tip (rather than the base) of the long flexible bill; soft, hairlike feathers; and stout, muscular legs. Each of the four toes has a large claw. Kiwis live in forests, where they sleep by day and forage for worms, insects and their larvae, and berries at night. They run swiftly and use their claws in defense when cornered.

Examples of kiwi in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Per the Times, previous studies have found that auditory cues can increase mustard plants’ chances of withstanding drought; delay tomato ripening; and encourage growth in mung beans, cucumbers, rice, strawberries and kiwi.
— Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, “Listen to the Sounds of Succulents at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden,” 29 Aug. 2019
Young men, about to go to war, had written their names in pencil on the whitewashed walls of the Thunderbox Room; there was a pets’ graveyard, a pioneering kiwi-fruit vine, a head gardener’s tea kettle, and a pineapple pit, heated with fresh manure.
— Charlotte Mendelson, The New Yorker, “The Stunning Grounds, and Tragic History, of the Lost Gardens of Heligan,” 2 Aug. 2019