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Idioms

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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kahu

1. (verb) (-ria) to put on clothes.

Synonyms: komo kākahu, kākahu


2. (verb) to germinate, grow, sprout.

He nui te mōmona o ētahi o ngā whenua; otiia, nā te tīkākā o te rā, e kore e āta kahu ngā kai, kōngio iho ngā hua, raupakatia iho ngā tupu (MM.TKM 1/1/1855:14). / Some of the lands are very fertile, but because of the intense heat the crops will not germinate properly, the fruit shrivels up and the plants fail.

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3. (noun) garment, cloth, cloak, costume.

Kia āhua roa e pāwerawera ana, ka whakamaroke te tinana o te tūroro ki tētahi tāora, ā ka kuhu ai he kahu maroke (TTT 1/9/1928:846). / When the patient has been hot for quite a long time, dry the body with a towel and then put on dry clothes.

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4. (noun) egg white, albumen, foetus, stillborn child.

Ki te mate te pēpi i te wā o te hapūtanga, o te whakawhānau rānei, ka kīia tērā ko te mate roto, ko te kahu. / If a baby dies during pregnancy or at birth it is said to be stillborn.

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5. (noun) surface.

Kāti rā ka hōhā koe ki ngā murakehu āku e huirapa nei i te kahu o te pepa (TTT 1/6/1922:14). / That's enough, because you will be tired of my rambling dominating the paper's content.

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kāhu

1. (noun) swamp harrier, harrier hawk, Australasian harrier, Circus approximans gouldi - a large brown hawk with long-fingered wings which feeds on prey and carrion and is common on farmland, tussock land and swamps.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 20;)

Pērā hoki me Māui-pōtiki i tango rā i te āhua o te kāhu, o te kāeaea, o te ruru, o te kea, o te pekapeka, o te kiore, o te kererū, o te noke hoki; kātahi anō ka mate i a Hine-nui-te-pō i roto i tōna whare i Pōtaka-rongorongo. (JPS 1922:48). / It was thus that Māui-pōtiki took on the form of the harrier hawk, the New Zealand falcon, the morepork, the kea, the bat, the rat, the pigeon, and the worm; until he was finally killed by Hine-nui-te-pō in her house at Pōtaka-rongorongo.

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kahu kererū

1. (noun) cloak of pigeon feathers.

kāhu kōrako

1. (noun) old harrier hawk (Circus approximans gouldi) - as the bird ages the plumage fades from dark brown to pale greyish brown.

See also kāhu


2. (noun) chief, highest-ranking leader.

Ko Pōkaia, hei pāpā ki a Hōne Heke, te kāhu kōrako o te riri (TTR 1990:18). / Pōkaia, an uncle of Hōne Heke, was the war leader.

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kāhu pango

1. (noun) juvenile harrier hawk, immature harrier hawk (Circus approximans gouldi) - as the bird matures and ages the plumage changes from the blackish-brown of the juvenile immature bird to the pale greyish brown of the old bird.

See also kāhu

Synonyms: kāhu pōkere o te whenua

kāhu maiepa

1. (noun) adult harrier hawk (Circus approximans gouldi).

See also kāhu

kahu kakau

1. (noun) swimming costume.

kahu kekeno

1. (noun) sealskin cape.

Ko ngā kākahu ēnei o roto o te puku—: he kaitaka, he pukupuku-pātea, he pukupuku, he kahu waero, he kahu toroa, he pūahi, he kākahu kura, he kahu kiwi, he kahu kekeno, he maiaorere, he kahakaha, he korirangi, he tātata, he mangaeka tātara, he pūreke, me ērā atu (NM 1928:129). / These were the garments that were in the stomach: a flax fibre cloak with tāniko border, a cloak with an ornamental border, a cape of dog tail skins, a cape covered with albatross down, a cloak of strips of dogskin, a cape of red feathers, a kiwi feather cloak, a sealskin cape, a maiaorere fine cloak, an undergarment, a cloak ornamented with black and white thrums of unscraped flax, a flax garment worn from the waist, a cape of undressed and undyed flax, a garment of undressed flax leaves, and other garments.

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kahu kiwi

1. (noun) kiwi feather cloak.

Ko ngā kākahu ēnei o roto o te puku—: he kaitaka, he pukupuku-pātea, he pukupuku, he kahu waero, he kahu toroa, he pūahi, he kākahu kura, he kahu kiwi, he kahu kekeno, he maiaorere, he kahakaha, he korirangi, he tātata, he mangaeka tātara, he pūreke, me ērā atu (NM 1928:129). / These were the garments that were in the stomach: a flax fibre cloak with tāniko border, a cloak with an ornamental border, a cape of dog tail skins, a cape covered with albatross down, a cloak of strips of dogskin, a cape of red feathers, a kiwi feather cloak, a sealskin cape, a maiaorere fine cloak, an undergarment, a cloak ornamented with black and white thrums of unscraped flax, a flax garment worn from the waist, a cape of undressed and undyed flax, a garment of undressed flax leaves, and other garments.

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kahu kūkupa

1. (noun) cloak of pigeon feathers.

kahu tāniko

1. (noun) cloak of fine flax with ornamental border.

Te mahi a te kahu waero, a te tōpuni, a te mawhiti, a te pūahi, a te kahu tāniko, me te tini o te kākahu (TKP 26/4/1858:4). / There were lots of capes of dog tails, dogskin cloaks of dark hair with white borders, cloaks of strips of dogskin, cloaks with tāniko borders, and many other garments.

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kāhu tātara

1. (noun) supreme chief, high chief of scattered kinship groups - a term for a paramount chief.

Ka hokia anō te karakia, ka tae ki te pātai, "He aha?" Ka whakautua e te rangatira nō te whakaminenga, "He kāhu tātara!" (Wh4 2004:14). / The incantation was repeated, asking, "What?" A chief from the assembly responded, "A Supreme Chief."

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Synonyms: toihau, tumu whakarae, ariki, ariki taungaroa, ariki tapairu, ariki tauaroa

kahu toroa

1. (noun) cape covered with albatross down.

Ko ngā kākahu ēnei o roto o te puku—: he kaitaka, he pukupuku-pātea, he pukupuku, he kahu waero, he kahu toroa, he pūahi, he kākahu kura, he kahu kiwi, he kahu kekeno, he maiaorere, he kahakaha, he korirangi, he tātata, he mangaeka tātara, he pūreke, me ērā atu (NM 1928:129). / These were the garments that were in the stomach: a flax fibre cloak with tāniko border, a cloak with an ornamental border, a cape of dog tail skins, a cape covered with albatross down, a cloak of strips of dogskin, a cape of red feathers, a kiwi feather cloak, a sealskin cape, a maiaorere fine cloak, an undergarment, a cloak ornamented with black and white thrums of unscraped flax, a flax garment worn from the waist, a cape of undressed and undyed flax, a garment of undressed flax leaves, and other garments.

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kahu waero

1. (noun) cape of dog tail skins.

Ko ngā kākahu ēnei o roto o te puku—: he kaitaka, he pukupuku-pātea, he pukupuku, he kahu waero, he kahu toroa, he pūahi, he kākahu kura, he kahu kiwi, he kahu kekeno, he maiaorere, he kahakaha, he korirangi, he tātata, he mangaeka tātara, he pūreke, me ērā atu (NM 1928:129). / These were the garments that were in the stomach: a flax fibre cloak with tāniko border, a cloak with an ornamental border, a cape of dog tail skins, a cape covered with albatross down, a cloak of strips of dogskin, a cape of red feathers, a kiwi feather cloak, a sealskin cape, a maiaorere fine cloak, an undergarment, a cloak ornamented with black and white thrums of unscraped flax, a flax garment worn from the waist, a cape of undressed and undyed flax, a garment of undressed flax leaves, and other garments.

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See also waero

kāhu komokomo

1. (noun) adult harrier hawk (Circus approximans gouldi).

kanohi kāhu

1. (adjective) be long-sighted, hawk-eyed.

kahu kautere

1. (noun) life jacket.

Ki te mea ka haere kōrua ki te moana mā runga poti pakupaku me mau kahu kautere. / If you two go to sea on a dinghy you must wear life jackets.

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Synonyms: hākete whakaora

tūtae kāhu

1. (noun) white oxalis, Oxalis magellanica - a small plant with long stems, clover-like leaves and white flowers. Favours damp places.

Synonyms: tūtae kākā

puni kahu

1. (noun) wardrobe, wardrobe department (performance).

He mahi nui tā te puni kahu kia eke taumata ai ngā mahi o runga i te atamira - mā muri ka tika a mua (RMR 2017). / The task of the wardrobe department is an important one so that the activities on the stage reach a high standard - work behind the scenes ensures that what happens out front is right.

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kahu raro

1. (noun) undergarment.

Ka oti te kāpeka e hāngai ana ki te kahu o runga, ka wetekina e ia kia kitea ai te kahu e hāngai ana ki te kāpeka e whai mai ana. Ka kīia tēnei ko te kahu raro (RMR 2017). / When the scene appertaining to the upper garment is completed, she takes it off so that the costume appropriate for the following scene can be seen. This is called the undergarment.

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