koa

noun

\ ˈkō-ə

How to pronounce koa (audio)

\

Definition of koa

1 : a Hawaiian timber tree (Acacia koa) with crescent-shaped phyllodes and pale yellow flowers borne in small round heads

2 : the fine-grained red wood of the koa used especially for furniture

Examples of koa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The living room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the views, and vintage Hawaiian koa-style lounge chairs designed by Sottsass (the art and decor are available for purchase as a separate sale). — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Eye-popping Ettore Sottsass-designed house hits the market in Hawaii," 3 Oct. 2018 American acacias range from Hawaii’s famous koa trees to Southwestern desert shrubs. — Debbie Arrington, sacbee, "This sure sign of (almost) spring offers drought relief, too," 16 Feb. 2018 Imported Acacia koa wood from the Hawaiian islands is used throughout the home. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "Home of The Week - Contemporary Balanise Masterpiece," 25 Dec. 2017 Last month, DeHoff and his wife, Tanja DeHoff, packed the koa box and flew to Japan. — Peter Rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "More than 75 years after Pearl Harbor, relics return to dead Japanese aviator's family," 3 July 2017 A 200-year-old koa wood outrigger canoe sits in the lobby. — Jackie Burrell, Orange County Register, "Lanai Hotels: From luxe to historic," 2 Feb. 2017 DeHoff organized a service where the relics, tucked into a box of koa wood, were blessed by a Buddhist monk and a Hawaiian Christian kahu, or priest. — Peter Rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "More than 75 years after Pearl Harbor, relics return to dead Japanese aviator's family," 3 July 2017 Both KOA Swimwear and Ugg are offering customers deals for the weekend; at Ugg, save 30 percent on unlined styles between May 25-28, and 20 percent off select styles at KOA between May 22-30. — Sam Reed, The Hollywood Reporter, "Shop Talk: All the Memorial Day Sample Sales; Cynthia Rowley Pops Up in Culver City," 25 May 2017 Designed by the owner, Ken Murray, to offer city dwellers a bit of a gentle, Hawaiian-themed oasis, his well-stocked store sells twangy little tropical instruments in everything from koa wood to Lucite. — Ilise S. Carter, New York Times, "UkeHut in Queens: Where No Ukulele Need Goes Unmet," 23 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'koa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about koa

Dictionary Entries near koa

Statistics for koa

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for koa

The first known use of koa was in 1824

See more words from the same year

WORD OF THE DAY

contraption

a device or gadget

Test Your Vocabulary

Words for Summer: A Quiz

Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ