poi
1. (verb) (-a) to toss up, swing the poi, toss up and down, toss about.
Kāore i taro kua eke te waka nei ki runga o te maunga e kīia ana tōna ingoa ko te Hiwi-ki-Mata-terā, haere tonu; Anana! anō rā hoki a 'Tākitimu' kei runga tonu i te ringa tangata e poia ana (JPS 1908:94). / Before long the canoe rested on the mountain known as the Hiwi-ki-Mataterā. Then along it went. Wondrously! 'It was as if 'Tākitimu' was being tossed about upon someones hands.
2. (verb) (-a) to knead, make into balls.
3. (noun) poi - a light ball on a string of varying length which is swung or twirled rhythmically to sung accompaniment. Traditionally the ball was made of raupō leaves.
Poia atu taku poi, wania atu taku poi (M 2005:202). / Swing afar my poi, skim away my poi.
4. (noun) poi dance - songs performed, usually by women, in which the poi is swung in various movements to accompany the singing.
Nui atu te mihi ki ngā mahi o te pō, ngā waiata, ngā poi, ngā waiata Māori, Pākehā, me ngā haka taparahi a ngā kaumātua (TTT 1/12/1931:81). / There was much praise for the activities of the night, the songs, the poi, Māori and English songs, and the haka taparahi of the elders.
5. (noun) sphere.
He āhua ahu-3 te poi, he rite ki te āhua o Papatūānuku. Kotahi te mata kōpiko o te poi, kāore ōna kokonga. He ōrite te tawhiti o ngā pūwāhi katoa o te mata i te pū o te poi (TRP 2010:204). / The sphere is a 3-dimensional shape, similar to the shape of the earth. It has one curved surface with no corners. All points on the surface of a sphere are the same distance from its centre (TRP 2010:204).
2. (noun) swarm, cluster.
I kī pēnei te whakaatu mai mōna a tētahi o tōna wā, arā, he tau te whakatupu, he ātaahua te whakatauiratanga o te kanohi, kāore i pērā rawa te kapi o ngā ngutu i te moko, he pokere, he rahi ngā mata, mātotoru ana te pōī o ōna makawe kenehuru, mōhinuhinu hoki, ā, he rōreka (TTR 1994:24). / A contemporary description noted that she was comely of form, with well modelled features, lips slightly tattooed, a pair of big dark eyes, and a thick cluster of dark, shiny hair, and had a melodious voice.
poi patu
1. (noun) poi made from dried and curled strands of harakeke.
Synonyms: poi piu
poi piu
1. (noun) poi made from dried and curled strands of harakeke.
Synonyms: poi patu
waiata poi
1. (noun) song performed with a poi - modern songs are usually set to European-type tunes.
Nā ēnei kōtiro te mahi waiata poi, waiata ā-ringa hoki hei mahi moni mō te kaupapa o Rātana (TTR 1998:113). / These young women performed poi songs and action songs to raise money for the Rātana movement.
poi āwhiowhio
1. (noun) whistling gourd - a small gourd with holes which is attached to a string and twirled to create a sound like that of birds. Sometimes as poiāwhiowhio.
(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 163, 170;)
I roto o ētahi iwi he mea whakamahi ngā hue pakupaku hai poi āwhiowhio (TWK 41:9). / In some tribes small gourds were made into whistling gourds.
rau
1. (noun) leaf, frond, plume, spray, feather.
Ko te mate anake o te tohetaka ka horoia te mamae he uaua ka mākerekere mai ngā rau tohetaka nō te mea he tino piri kē ki te mamae (HP 1991:24). / The only problem with the dandelion, which reduces the pain, is that it's difficult to remove the dandelion leaves because they really stick to the wound.
2. (noun) blade of a weapon.
Ko te rangatira kaitaotao i te taha mauī o te matua e whakakapakapa ana i te rau o tana mere (TWMNT 27/6/1876:149). / A chief on the left of the column was flourishing the blade of his greenstone mere.
3. (noun) beat, rhythm (of a poi).
I te rekanga pea o te poi ki ngā kanohi o te Tiuka, ka haere tonu tana waewae i runga i te rau o te poi (TP 1/8/1901:6). / Perhaps because of how melodious the the poi dance was in the eyes of the Duke, his foot went on the beat of the poi.
2. (verb) (-a,-tia) to make into a poi song.
Nō te otinga o ngā kupu i whakapoia kētia mai e rātou (Kāretu 2010:12) / When the words were completed they made it into a poi song instead.
