wanganui
wanganui Lexical Profile
• noun
New Zealand A city located on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, situated at the mouth of the Whanganui River.
"We spent the weekend exploring the art galleries and historic buildings in Wanganui."
New Zealand A major river in the North Island of New Zealand, flowing from the central volcanic plateau to the Tasman Sea.
"Early European settlers used the Wanganui as a major trading route into the heavily forested interior of the island."
Word Nuance & Usage
In 2015, the official name of the city was changed to 'Whanganui' to reflect the correct Māori spelling, though the historical anglicized spelling 'Wanganui' is still frequently encountered in older texts and general usage.
• Rhymes for wanganui
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from the Māori proper noun 'Whanganui', derived from 'whanga' (meaning 'bay', 'bight', or 'harbour') and 'nui' (meaning 'large' or 'big').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.