elegant - Te Aka Māori Dictionary

kuwha

1. (noun) elegant venus shell, Irus elegans - a bivalve mollusc that burrows into soft mudstone or sandstone near low tide. It has a long angular shell with sharp ridges, grey to pale brown.

huatau

1. (adjective) be comely, suitable, elegant, graceful.

He āwheo tōna, he huatau momo atua tonu atu ana huanga (TTR 1996:55). / She had a halo, an elegance of almost godlike attributes.

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2. (modifier) comely, suitable, elegant, graceful.

He pai ki a ia ngā kākahu huatau, te momo puoro takihuri a ngā kirimangu o Amerika me te pātī haere (TTR 1996:80). / She liked elegant clothes, jazz music of the Blacks of America and parties.

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3. (noun) elegance, style, grace, dignity, beauty, politeness.

Ahakoa te huatau o tēnei whakautu, e tino mārama ana te whakaatu mai kua whakakorea tā rātou take (TTR 1994:110). / Despite the politeness of this response, it very clearly rejected their case.

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purotu

1. (verb) to be pleasant, agreeable, clear, beautiful, handsome.

Ka tino purotu te puāwai o te rākau, arā, o te kōwhai, o te hutukawa, o te rātā, o te heketara, o te rangiora (TTT 1/4/1929:972). / The flowers of the trees were quite beautiful, that is of the kōwhai, the pōhutukawa, the rātā, the tree daisy and the rangiora.

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Synonyms: tau, waiwaiā, koea, ātaahua, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, pīwari, turua, matareka, hūmārika, rēhia, kakato, rawe, rekareka, hāneanea, ngohengohe, pai, manini, āhuareka, reka, āhumehume, pārekareka, harakoa, ngāwari

2. (adjective) beautiful, handsome, good-looking, attractive, gorgeous, pleasant, agreeable.

He pūrotu ake tana teina i a ia (Te Ara 2016). / His younger brother was more handsome than him.

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3. (modifier) beautiful, handsome, good-looking, attractive, gorgeous, pleasant, agreeable.

Ehara i te tangata purotu, engari he tangata koi te hinengaro, he tangata māhaki (TTR 1990:328). / He wasn't a handsome man, but he had a sharp mind and was self-possessed.

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4. (noun) beauty, attractiveness, elegence, handsomeness.

O ngā Māori katoa o mua atu i tūtakina e ia, kāore i rite ki a Whakatau mō te māhorahora me te purotu o te kanohi (TTR 1994:30). / Of all the Māori he had met previously none could match Whakatau for his open and handsome countenance.

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Synonyms: rerehua, waiwaiā, ātaahua, hūmārie, tau, hūmārire, ātanga

tōrire

1. (adjective) be fine, smart, exquisite, neat, chic, elegant.

He rahi, he tōrire te māhunga o tēnei tangata (TTR 1990:315). / The head of this man was large and fine.

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Synonyms: tau, taputapu kē, tōingo, pūhangaiti

2. (modifier) fine, smart, exquisite, neat, chic, elegant.

He wahine i pai te āhua, he wahine tōrire, he mea kura rawa hoki (TTR 1996:40). / She was a woman of beauty, a fine woman, who was well educated.

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3. (noun) exquisiteness, elegance, style, fineness.

Ka puta te tōrire o tōna kanohi me te māia o te tangata, i roto i ngā whakaahua nei (TTR 1990:279). / In these photographs the fine features of his face and the strength of the man are exhibited.

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4. (noun) pink tower shell, Phenatoma rosea - a marine gastropod mollusc with a corkscrew-shaped tall pink shell with a notch in the top corner of the shell opening. Found on the sandy shore.

Synonyms: hānea, kurewha, pipi taiari, takarape, tāwiri, tungangi, pure, pūkanikani, tikoaka, tuangi, kākara, ngārahu tatawa, toretore, kuhakuha, niania, papatua, ururoa, ngāeo, ngākihi hiwihiwi, hahari, pātitotito, pūpū māeneene, purewha, ruheruhe, tākai, pōrohe, korohiwa, hauwai, hihiwa, hinangi, hopetea, whāngai karoro, pīpipi, pūpū rore, pūpū taratara, pāua, tātara, kararuri, kawari, koeti, koriakai, awatai, kūpā, mātangata, matapura, ngākihi tea, matangongore, mimiti, ngaeti, karoro, wahanui, pipi, ngākihi hiwihiwi, ngākihi kopia, papatai, hūai, peraro, pūpū karikawa, pūpū māeneene, pūpū waitai, pūrimu, takai, piritoka, kahitua, hauwai, harihari, hinangi, hoehoe, kāeo, pīpipi, pūpū rore, pūpū taratara, poro, whētiko, hānea, kurewha, tākupu, rehoreho, taiwhatiwhati, tanetane, torewai, uere, wahawaha, whētikotiko, tohemanga, pure, tairaki, pipi tairaki, kūkuku, kūkukuroa, kukupati, papahurihuri, hākari, rerekākara, toitoi, tikoaka, toheroa, tuangi, kaitua, miware, mitimiti, pūpū, ngārahu taua, ataata, kaitangata, pūpū atamarama, tihipu, tihi, tio repe, tipa, totorere, tuatua, tupa, ngākihi, ngaingai, kākahi, taiawa, tūpere, ngaere, ngākihi hahae, kukupara, kuku-mau-toka, ngākihi tea, niania, matangārahu, maurea, karehu, tītiko, ngāruru, ngaeti, papatua, waharoa, wahanui, tūteure, ngākihi hiwihiwi, ngākihi kopia, papatai, hohehohe, kōmore, pātiotio, pūkauri, pūpū karikawa, pūpū harakeke, pūpū māeneene, pūpū tuatea, pūpū waharoa, pūtātara, pūrimu, takarepo, tūroro, pōrohe, angarite, hauwai, harihari, hinangi, hopetea, whāngai karoro, pīpipi, pūpū rore, pūpū taratara, poro, pūpū tarataratea, karariwha, karekawa, koeo, karahiwa, kararuri, kawari, koeo, koio, korohiwa, kororiwha, matamatangongo, matatangata, matapura, kōrama, korona, marapeka, kōramu, hānea, kurewha, tākupu, pipi taiari, rereho, tanetane, torewai, uere, wētiwha, karahū, pure, ngūpara, kuharu, kūkukuroa, pūkanikani, poua, tio, toheroa, tuangi haruru, miware, pūpū, peke, pūpū kōrama, tihipu, tio para, totoro, tupa, ngaingai, rūharu, kuhakuha, ngākihi awaawa

tau

1. (verb) (-ria) to land, alight, come to rest, settle on, count, settle, perch, ride at anchor, resolve.

Ka tau mai ki ngā kura reo, e pau ana te hau, ka hoki atu e hikohiko katoa ana te ngākau (HM 4/2008:3). / I arrived at the language learning gathering worn out and when I returned home I was enthusiastic.

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Synonyms: pae, pūtohe, niwha, whakapau kaha, pūkeke, noho, nohonoho, whakaea, whakanoho, whakatatū, whakatau, whakamāhaki, whakataiwhenua, tatū, pūwhenua

2. (verb) to settle down, subside, abate.

Ka tau te riri, ka hohou te rongo (TTR 1990:57). / Hostilities subsided and peace was made.

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Synonyms: pāngū, māwhe, mārie, rarau

3. (modifier) neat, comely, smart, attractive, handsome, becoming, suitable, beautiful, cute, befitting.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)

Māku e tapa he ingoa tau mōhou (TTT 1/4/1930:2035). / I will bestow a befitting name for you.

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Synonyms: koea, ātaahua, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, pīwari, turua, purotu, waiwaiā, tōingo, tōrire, pūhangaiti, taputapu kē

4. (noun) attractiveness, beauty, grace, elegance.

He rite te whiunga i te poi me te rite o te whiu o te waewae, me te tungoutanga o te māhunga, me te tau hoki o te tinana ki te titiro atu (TPH 16/4/1900:5). / The swinging of the poi and feet were in unison, together with the bowing of the head and how graceful the bodies were.

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Synonyms: rerehua, ātaahua, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, purotu, waiwaiā