noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈkiːn.wɑː/
UK:/kiːˈnəʊ.ə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈkin.wɑ/
US:/kiˈnoʊ.ə/
rhymes with -əʊə
CMU ARPABET:K IY2 N OW1 AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A goosefoot (Chenopodium quinoa) native to the Andes and cultivated for its edible seeds.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The high-protein dried fruits and seeds of this plant, used as a food staple and ground into flour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كِينْوَا
(kīnwā)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Arabic:
كينوا
(kīnwa)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Basque:
kinoa
— Chenopodium quinoa
Catalan:
quinoa
— Chenopodium quinoa
Chinese Cantonese:
藜麥 /藜麦
(lai4 mak6)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Chinese Mandarin:
印地安麥 /印地安麦
(yìndì'ān mài)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Chinese Mandarin:
藜麥 /藜麦
(límài)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Chinese Mandarin:
奎藜
(kuílí)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Chinese Mandarin:
小小米
(xiǎoxiǎomǐ)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Chinese Mandarin:
灰米
(huīmǐ)
— Chenopodium quinoa
Chinese Mandarin:
昆諾阿藜 /昆诺阿藜
(kūnnuò'ālí)
— Chenopodium quinoa