noun
- plural of kauri; large evergreen trees native to New Zealand, or the hard resin obtained from these trees
Usage: chiefly New Zealand; also refers to the valuable timber and fossilized resin from kauri trees
Examples
- The ancient kauries of New Zealand's North Island are among the largest trees in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Kauries were heavily logged in the 19th century for their valuable timber.
- Fossilized kauries resin, known as kauri gum, was once a major export from New Zealand.
- The remaining kauries forests are now protected as natural heritage sites.
- Maori people have long used kauries wood for building and carving.