noun
- A Māori greeting in which two people press their noses and foreheads together.
Usage: From Māori (New Zealand indigenous language); Cultural practice; also used in New Zealand English
Examples
- The hongi is an important greeting in Māori culture.
- When visiting the marae, we were welcomed with a hongi.
- The two leaders exchanged a hongi as a sign of respect.
- Children learn about the hongi in New Zealand schools.
- A hongi represents the sharing of breath and life force in Māori tradition.