Definition of "hongi" [hongi]

• To greet another or exchange greetings in Maori fashion by touching or pressing noses together. (verb-intransitive)
• The act or an instance of making such a greeting. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The Prince enthusiastically participated in a "hongi" - a traditional pressing of noses - with four Maori dignitaries who welcomed him to the new building."
• "The traditional greeting of New Zealand Maori is the simultaneous pressing of noses and forehead, known as the hongi."
• "The hongi is a traditional New Zealand Maori greeting."