kauri

Meanings

1. A conifer of the genus Agathis, found in Australasia and Melanesia, especially Agathis australis.
2. A resinous product of the kauri tree, found in the form of yellow or brown lumps in the ground where the trees have grown. It is used for making varnish, and as a substitute for amber.

1. Alternative form of cowrie.

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori kauri from Proto-Polynesian *kauquli, from *kau (“tree”) + *quli (“black”), originally referring to Samoan ebony ("Diospyros samoensis").