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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whero

1. (verb) to be red, turn red.

Kite noa ake ngā iwi o Tū-parahaki kua whero tonu te wai o te awa o Rangi-tāiki i te toto tangata (NIT 1995:151). / Tū-parahaki's people saw that the water of the Rangi-tāiki River had turned red with men's blood.

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Synonyms: kura, pākurakura, ura, pūwhero, ngangana, tōwhero, waipū, nganangana, hīwera, kākaramea


2. (adjective) be red.

He whero te kara o ngā pua o te pōhutukawa. / The colour of the flowers of the pōhutukawa is red.

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3. (modifier) red, reddish-brown, orange-red.

Otirā ehara i te mea ko te pītiti anake, engari ko ngā āhua rākau katoa pēnā tonu tō rātou ritenga tae iho ana ki ngā huarākau ririki, arā, ki te karani pango, mā, whero, me te rāhipere, me te kūpere me ētahi atu o ngā huarākau ririki katoa (TP 12/1905:7). / But it's not as if it is only peaches, but all sorts of trees that are treated in that way, including small fruits, that is, black, red and white currants, raspberries, gooseberries and all the other small fruits.

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4. (noun) red, reddish-brown, orange-red.

Ko te pou rāhui te tohu o te rāhui, he mea pani ki te whero (Te Ara 2014). / A rāhui was indicated by a post, painted red.

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Synonyms: kehu, pākā, pākākā

whero

1. (verb) to hoot.

Whero ana te ruru (W 1971:495). / The morepork hoots.

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whero

1. (noun) anus, bum, backside, rump.

He whero pūmangu, he tiwha nui kai te rae, he mā kai te matamata o te ihu, e toru waewae mā, he raho-poka, he hōiho āhua nui, he parani rānei kai te papa katau, he mate rānei, kīhai i mārama (TW 14/12/1878:631). / It has a blackish rump, a large patch on the forehead, the tip of the nose is white, it has three white legs and is a gelding. It's quite a large horse and has a brand on the right flank but the problem is that it isn't clear.

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Synonyms: tāreperepe, papaihore, miki, kumu, nono

nīko whero

1. (noun) red cabbage.

arero whero

1. (noun) fighting man.

Ko te umu pōtaka mō te arero whero tēnā, me te ati ā-toa (W 1971:19). / That is the sacred oven for the fighting men and the young men after their first battle.

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Rīpeka Whero

1. (noun) Red Cross.

E hia mano pāuna kē nei i kohia e ia mā te Rīpeka Whero (TTR 1996:50). / She raised thousands of pounds for the Red Cross.

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ringa whero

1. (noun) chief.

Ko te ringa whero ki mua, ko te ringa wera ki muri (HJ 2017:81). / The chief at the front, the workers at the back.

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tētē whero

1. (noun) brown teal, Anas aucklandica - a rare endemic bird, the breeding male has a glossy green head and a narrow white collar, while the female is brown.

Tētē whero: Ko te ‘tētē’ te tangi a tēnei pārera. He whero, he kehu ōna huruhuru (Te Ara 2013). / Brown teal: ‘Tētē’ is the Māori rendition of the ducks’ quacking. Whero (red) refers to their reddish-brown plumage.

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Ringa whero

1. A red hand: a metaphor for a chief: the hand is redened by kōkōwai (red-ochre).

Whuuu! He kai nā te ringa whero i taka! Wow! Food prepared by a chief. /

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kahu-whero

1. (noun) cape covered with red feathers.

pūtau toto whero

1. (noun) red blood cell, erythrocyte.

Ko te pūtau toto whero: Koia nei ngā pūtau e kawea ai te hāora mai i ngā pūkahukahu ki ngā wāhi katoa o te tinana (RP 2009:415). / Red blood cells: These are the cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.

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pōtaka whero rua

1. (noun) double pointed spinning top.

Moana Whero, Te

1. (location) Red Sea.

Nā taua tangata rātou i ārahi atu, i muri iho i tana mahinga i ngā mea whakamīharo, i ngā tohu, ki te whenua o Īhipa, ki te Moana Whero, ki te koraha hoki i ngā tau e whā tekau (PT Nga Mahi 7:36). / He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

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arero-whero

1. (noun) A term applied to the fighting men of a tribe.

Ko te umu potaka mo te arero-whero tena, me te ati-a-toa. / The flat oven is for the compettitors, and the winner.

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whero ā-pango

1. (stative) dark reddish-brown, bay.

He hōiho poka, he whero ā-pango, he tiwha te rae, 14 ringa te tiketike, kāhore he parani e kitea (TW 20/11/1875:376). / A bay gelding with a spot on the forehead, 14 hands high, with no visible brand.

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arero whero o Kahukura

1. (adjective) The red tongue of Kahukura: an accomplished male performer of haka.

Hīnawanawa ana te kiri i kitenga o te arero whero o Kahukura, / The skin shivers at the sight of the dreaded exponent of haka.

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Synonyms: kaiwhakaataata, kaihaka, kaiwhakatau, kaiwhakaari

Mā pango mā whero ka oti te mahi

1. The populice along with leadership will get the job done.

By red and by black it will be accomplised /

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ngeniwhero

1. (noun) (anatomy) erythrocyte.

kiriwhero

1. (adjective) be florid (in complexion) - sometimes written as two words, i.e. kiri whero.

Heoi anō ā rātou nei ingoa i hua ai i ngā rā i a rātou, ko ngā ingoa iwi, hapū hoki; me ngā kupu e toru mō te āhua o te kiri, arā, kirimangu, tā rātou kupu tūturu mō tērā, kiri parauri; kirimā, tā rātou kupu tūturu mō tērā, kiritea; kiriwhero, tā rātou kupu tūturu mō tērā, kiri waitutu (JPS 1893:61). / However in the days of the ancestors the names they used were the tribal and sub-tribal names, and the names for the three skin complexions, namely black skin, their original word for that is 'kiri parauri'; fair skin, their original word for that is 'kiritea'; red skin, their original word for that is 'kiri waitutu'.

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2. (modifier) redskin.

Ko Oronhyatekha ko te ingoa o tētahi rangatira o te iwi kiriwhero o Amerika nō ēnei rā tata nei i mate ai ki Hawana, Georgia, Amerika (TP 5/1907:11). / Oronhyatekha is the name of a chief of the redskin people of America who recently died in Savannah, Georgia, America.

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3. (noun) American Indian, Native American.

Ka mātau mātou he kiriwhero tonu anō te tumuaki o tēnei kāreti (TAH 67:18). / We learnt that the principal of this college was a Native American.

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