poi

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Hawaiian poi.

noun

1. (Hawaii) The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment.
   It was a far cry from the traditional Hawaiian feast, which always included the beloved poi, a purplish paste made from pounded taro root […]. 2012, Julia Flynn Siler, Lost Kingdom, Grove Press, page 104
2. A creamy Samoan dessert of ripe bananas mashed with coconut cream.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Maori poi.

noun

1. (New Zealand) A small ball made of leaves and fibres, attached to a string.
   Warriors formerly used poi actions to maintain wrist flexibility, but poi have developed as a women's dance. Classic poi dances and songs are reputed to have been those of the people of the Taranaki, Rotorua, and Whanganui tribal areas, but poi are now performed everywhere in Aotearoa. 2008, Ellen Koskoff, “Haka poi”, in The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Routledge, page 738
   A couple of days later Trico announced that, if I were to travel with them, it was imperative that I learn some form of malabares, or circus skill. The available options were poi, staff or juggling. ‘Poi’, the form of malabares that Sandra played, are two balls at the end of chains which are spun in patterns around the body. When the balls are replaced by wicks soaked in gasoline and set alight, the poi ‘spin fire’. 2013, Catriona Rainsford, The Urban Circus: Travels with Mexico's Malabaristas, Bradt Travel Guides, page 18
2. (New Zealand) A traditional dance performed by Maori women involving the rhythmic swinging of such a ball.