Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

miri

1. (noun) hypnotherapy.

miri

1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-tia) to rub, smear, wipe, soothe, stroke, caress, massage, swipe (digital devices).

Ka miria e te hauku a Papa-tū-a-nuku (TTT 1/3/1930:2006). / Papa-tū-ā-nuku is caressed by the dew.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: waku, wakuwaku, mirimiri, muku, mukumuku, muru, kōmuri, kōmeke, kōmekemeke, kōmiri, ūkui, ūkuikui, hūkui, kāuto, aumiri, hikahika


2. (verb) (-a,-hia,-tia) to twist strands by rolling them on the thigh.

Nā taku kuia au i whakaako ki te miri i te muka o te harakeke (RTA 2014:120). / It was my grandmother who taught me to twist the flax fibre on my thigh.

Show example

Hide example


3. (modifier) massage.

I mua i tēnei he takahinga ture te whakahaere whare kairau; hunaia ai ēnei tūmomo whare ki raro i te kārangaranga whare miri tinana (Te Ara 2016). / Prior to this, brothels operated outside the law; these types of houses were hidden under the euphemism of massage parlours.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: mirimiri, kōmuru, romiromi, kōmuri, kōmiri, whakamāeneene


4. (modifier) shelling (maize).

Ko ngā mīhini miri kānga mā te tangata anō e huri (TTT 1/10/1930:2158). / The machines for shelling maize were turned by hand.

Show example

Hide example


5. (noun) twisting (flax fibre).

Te miri o Rukutia. Te miri o te harakeke, arā o te muka hei whenu hei aho rānei mō te whatu kākahu. Kei ngā kōrero onamata a te Māori ko Rukutia nāna i tīmata te whatu o te kākahu (M 2004:292). / The caress of Rukutia. The twisting of flax, that is the flax fibre, into warp strands or cross-threads for weaving garments. According to the early narratives of the Māori, Rukutia was the originator of the art of the weaving of garments.

Show example

Hide example

oru

1. (verb) (-a) to be bogged down, boggy.

E oru ana te whenua (W 1971:242). / The ground is boggy.

Show example

Hide example


2. (verb) (-a) to be rough (of the sea).

Kua orua te moana (W 1971:242). / The sea is rough.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: whenewhene, pohepohe, karekare, , kōrawarawa


3. (modifier) boggy, miry, marshy.

Otiia e kore e waimāori ngā wāhi oru o reira (PT Ehekiera 47:11). / But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: reporepo, ngaeki, kōreporepo, pōwharuwharu


4. (noun) bog, quagmire, mire, deep hole.

Ka tapoko ahau ki te oru hōhonu, ki te wāhi kāore nei he tūnga (TPH 15/6/1900:5). / I sink into a deep quagmire, a place where there is nowhere to stand.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: kene, wharu, , poharu, pōharuharu


5. (noun) heart, midst, thick (of a crowd).

Ka haere i roto i te oru o te tangata (W 1971:242). / She went into the midst of the crowd.

Show example

Hide example


6. (noun) short-tail stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata - disc quadrangular, flattened and slightly wider than long. Tail stout at the base, broad and flattened, narrowing rapidly to the sting. Plain greyish to light brown, whitish to cream ventrally. Bottom-dwelling marine ray widespread in coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere at depths of 5-300 m. Adults common inshore during summer and autumn.

See also whai


7. (noun) koru, colensoa, Colensoa physaloides - a shrubby plant found in shady areas and stream banks in Northland and on northern offshore islands. The attractive soft, dark green, large leaves are prominently veined and serrated. Deep blue, tubular flowers occur for several months from spring. The berries are also dark blue.

See also koru

Synonyms: koru

Te Kākano 3rd Edition

New edition of the leading Māori-language textbook out now.

More info

The App

Te Aka Māori Dictionary is also available as an iOS and Android app. Download below.

iOS Android

The Book

Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index by John C Moorfield comprises a selection of modern and everyday language that will be extremely useful for learners of the Māori language.

More info

He Pātaka Kupu

Te kai a te rangatira

He Pātaka Kupu is a monolingual Māori language dictionary, and was designed using its own culturally authentic terms.

Visit website

00:00