poi

noun

ˈpȯi How to pronounce poi (audio)
plural poi or pois
: a Hawaiian food prepared from the cooked corms of taro that are mashed with water to the consistency of a paste or thick liquid and often allowed to ferment

Examples of poi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At that same moment, back near the soundboard, a handful of woodland raver types were twirling the latest in glowstick technology in chemiluminescent figure-eights, proving, perhaps for the first time ever, that circle-pitting and LED poi are not mutually exclusive practices. — Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2021 There are no tiki drinks or recipes for kalua pork or poi. — Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Hawaiian & Samoan

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poi was in 1782

Browse Nearby Words

pohutukawa
poi
-poiesis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poi. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

poi

noun
ˈpȯi How to pronounce poi (audio)
plural poi or pois
: a Hawaiian food made of cooked taro root pounded to a paste and often fermented

More from Merriam-Webster on poi

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poi

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