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Definition of elepaio

elepaio

/ˌɛləˈpaɪoʊ/
e · le · pai · o
Plural:elepaios
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elepaio Lexical Profile

• noun

1

American A small, highly adaptable forest bird (genus Chasiempis) belonging to the monarch flycatcher family, endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and notable in native mythology as the guiding spirit of canoe makers.

Example

"While trekking through the dense forests of Oahu, the researchers carefully documented the foraging behavior of the elusive elepaio."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for elepaio

Word Nuance & Usage

In Hawaiian contexts and modern ornithological literature, the word is frequently spelled with a leading ʻokina (ʻelepaio) to represent a glottal stop.

• Rhymes for elepaio

• Nearby Words

electric eel
electroplax
elegant pitviper
elepaio
elephant
elephant bird
elephant file snake

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian 'ʻelepaio', a word believed to be onomatopoeic, imitating the bird's distinctive whistling song.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Elepaio. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/elepaio
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