What does kauri mean?
A kauri is a large evergreen coniferous tree native to New Zealand, especially the species Agathis australis. Mature specimens can attain extraordinary height, and their timber was historically important for shipbuilding and construction. The tree also produces a remarkable resin called kauri gum, which may accumulate in the trunk and become increasingly hard over time. This resin was once gathered and traded as a source of varnish and decorative material, and large deposits of fossil gum can also be found in the ground. In a second sense, “kauri” names a former monetary unit of New Zealand. The word is consequently associated both with the grandeur of New Zealand's native forests and with the country's commercial and industrial history. Today, protecting mature kauri forests and managing both living trees and areas containing buried resin are significant conservation concerns.
nounA very large evergreen coniferous tree native to New Zealand, valued for its timber and for the resin known as kauri gum. The name can also refer to that resin and to a former New Zealand monetary unit.
- A large coniferous tree native to New Zealand, especially Agathis australis.
- The resin obtained from kauri trees, known as kauri gum.
- A former monetary unit of New Zealand, divided into 100 minor units.
"Ancient kauri trees dominate the forest, their immense trunks rising above the surrounding vegetation."
"The museum displays a collection of small kauri trees that have been carefully pruned for transplanting."
"Workers carefully removed the kauri gum from the trunk without damaging the ancient tree."
"The price of the kauri rose before the currency was replaced in decimalisation."
The plural is used when referring to individual trees, usually with the determiner trees omitted or a number or quantifier supplied.
"Several kauri stand beside the road near the park entrance."
Some kauri trees preserve ancient resin, which can harden into amber-like material and preserve evidence of the forest life around it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kauri come from?
The English word was borrowed from Māori kauri, the name of the tree and its resin. The borrowing became established during the nineteenth century as interest in New Zealand's timber and resin resources expanded. The word belongs to a Māori lexical tradition and has no well-established English cognate outside forms that simply preserve the borrowed name.
How kauri is actually used
The unqualified word normally refers to the tree in New Zealand contexts. It may also denote the tree's resin or a former unit of currency, so the intended sense can depend on the surrounding wording.