2. (noun) variety of native rat, Rattus exulans.
Ko te kiore te ingoa noa o tēnei kararehe ki Aotearoa nei, heoi, arā atu anō ngā ingoa: maungarua, mō te kiore rahi; tāpapa, he kiore ora te tipu; torokaha, he kiore nui; tokoroa, he kiore kiritea; hāmua, he tohu aituā, kīhai i kainga (Te Ara 2016). / Kiore is the usual name given to this species in New Zealand, although there are other names: maungarua is a large rat; tāpapa a well-grown rat; torokaha a big rat; tokoroa a white rat; while hāmua was a rat considered an ill omen and was not eaten.
hamu
1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-tia) to gather things that are scattered, glean, scavenge, eat leftovers.
Ka hauarea tēnā tangata, ka hamu ia i ngā wai pūwhā o ngā pāparakāuta, ka noho ia i reira, kāhore he kai pai hei oranga mōna (KO 15/7/1884:24). / That man became thin, he scavenged the cooking water of the hotels and lived there, there was no suitable food as sustenance for him.
Synonyms: hamuhamu
2. (noun) scavenger.
Synonyms: hamuhamu
