poi

noun

\ ˈpȯi

How to pronounce poi (audio)

\

plural poi or pois

Definition of poi

: 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

Pre-show activities include grinding taro root (the chief ingredient in poi), making bracelets from fresh flowers, and getting temporary tattoos. — Arthur Levine, USA TODAY, "Disney’s Hawiian resort Aulani offers a melting pot of dining options," 8 June 2018 The perfect taro is heavy and dense and mashes into smooth poi. — Washington Post, "Shortage of key Hawaii crop expected after rains swamp farms," 28 May 2018 Dinner is a pig roast, roasted pineapple, Hawaiian poi and tuna poke. — Kathy Flanigan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Sprecher Brewing and Traveling Beer Garden host Feasts on the Beach to give park a boost," 10 May 2018 The Aloha Nights, which run during the exhibition, celebrate Hawaii’s cultural traditions and include live music, performances of hula and chant, and artisan demonstrations of lei and poi making. — Kari Bodnarchuk, BostonGlobe.com, "Here, there, and everywhere," 24 Apr. 2018 Also flown in is the poi, or taro root paste, and the fresh hearts of palm, which are served pickled, roasted, fresh and fermented. — Joshua David Stein, sacbee, "At SF site, Hawaiian fare is served (but pineapple is not)," 5 Aug. 2017 The root can be prepared and served like a potato or in traditional dishes such as poi, and the leaves are often used to wrap fish or pork in a Hawaiian dish called laulau. — Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Using a taro patch in Hawaii, this couple teaches the islands’ values to youths," 13 July 2017 In Hawaiian cuisine, taro root is commonly pounded into a mash and served as poi. — Chaney Kwak, Bon Appetit, "This Tropical Plant Wants to Be Your New Gluten-Free Flour," 23 Mar. 2017

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

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The first known use of poi was in 1782

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