Polynesia
WordNet
noun
(1) The islands in the eastern part of Oceania
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From + ; according to Moon Handbooks Tahiti, "the term Polynesia was coined by Charles de Brosses in 1756 and applied to all the Pacific islands. The present restricted use was proposed by Dumont d'Urville during a famous lecture at the Geographical Society in Paris in 1831."
Proper noun
Polynesia
- Part of Oceania including Easter Island, Hawaii, New Zealand, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga.