An island of the southern Pacific Ocean in the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It was first settled by Polynesians in the 14th century. Gaugin's best-known works were painted here.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.