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kukui

kukui

9.9
An oil from the seeds of a Hawaiian tree used for skin, hair, and cooking
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : aceite de kukui
  • The chef added kukui oil to the salad dressing for its rich flavor.
  • kukui nut

Examples

  • Many Hawaiian families use kukui oil in their skincare routines for its moisturizing properties.

  • The Hawaiians who had penetrated this netherworld, wearing nothing more than loincloths, moved in dim light by putting kukui nut oil and coconut-fiber wicks in stone cups.

    Academic text (2011)
  • At the festival, they lit lamps filled with kukui oil to create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Synonyms

kukui nut oil
vskukui
  • US
9.2

A liquid from the nuts of a tropical tree that people use for cooking and for skin and hair

is the same oil but with broader everyday and lamp uses beyond tradition

Compounds

9.2

A liquid from the nuts of a tropical tree that people use for cooking and for skin and hair

Surface Forms

kukui singular
kukuis plural

Etymology

Kukui can mean the oil from the 'candlenut', and the name comes from how Hawaiians used the nut for light. Because the nuts were used like a 'candle', kukui oil is easy to remember as a natural lamp oil and a skin oil.