Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kūkūwai

1. (noun) wetland, swampland, marshland, swampy land.


2. (noun) a species of shark.

See also kūai

kūkūai

1. (noun) a species of shark.

See also kūai

mangō taniwha

1. (noun) white shark, white pointer shark, great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias - the largest of man-eating sharks, with the largest individuals known to reach 6 metres in length and 2,268 kilograms in weight. Large spindle-shaped body with pointed snout. Near-symetrical tail, large first dorsal and very small second dorsal fin. Grey above and white below with a sharp demarcation between the two colours.

Titiro ki te weriweri o te āhua o te mangō taniwha nei (Te Ara 2011). / Observe how horrible this white pointer shark looks.

Show example

Hide example

See also mangō ururoa

ninihi

1. a species of shark.

mangō

1. (noun) shark, dogfish, gummy shark - a general name for sharks. Word following mangō identifies the species (e.g. mangō-ururoa, white pointer shark).

Kakū ana tana ngao i ngā kai papai a te Pākehā, engari ko tēhea atu hoki i te kānga kōpiro, i te toroī, i te kōura mara, i te kina i rāua ki te wai māori mō ngā rā e toru, i te kōuka, i te mangō me te kererū huahua, he mea kōtutu katoa i roto anō i ōna hinu (TTR 1998:206). / He enjoyed the finest of Pākehā foods but relished fermented corn, pickled pūhā and mussels, crayfish fermented in fresh water, sea-urchins steeped in fresh water for three days, inner baby fronds of the cabbage tree, shark, and wild pigeons preserved entirely in their own fat.

Show example

Hide example

See also mangō tuatini, mangō ururoa, mangō taniwha, mangō ripi, mangōpare

Synonyms: ururoa


2. (noun) spotted dogfish, rig, smooth-hound, Mustelus lenticulatus.

Synonyms: makō, pioke, pīokeoke


3. (noun) school shark, Galeorhinus galeus - a pale brownish-grey shark similar to a bigger version of a dogfish, having a double tail and pointed nose. Teeth small, pointed and sharp. Found in coastal and ocean waters from shallow depths to 1100 m.

Synonyms: kapetā, tupere, tope

mangō ururoa

1. (noun) white shark, white pointer shark, Carcharodon carcharias - a large heavy-bodied shark found in temperate and tropical waters. Eats a wide variety of fish and birds and attacks humans. Noted for its broadly triangular teeth with serrated edges. The largest of man-eating sharks, with the largest individuals known to reach 6 metres in length and 2,268 kilograms in weight. Large spindle-shaped body with pointed snout. Near-symetrical tail, large first dorsal and very small second dorsal fin. Grey above and white below with a sharp demarcation between the two colours.

ururoa

1. (noun) white shark, white pointer, Carcharodon carcharias - a large, heavy-bodied shark found in temperate and tropical waters. Eats a wide variety of fish and birds and attacks humans. Noted for its broadly triangular teeth with serrated edges. The largest of man-eating sharks, with the largest individuals known to reach 6 metres in length and 2,268 kilograms in weight. Large spindle-shaped body with pointed snout. Near-symetrical tail, large first dorsal and very small second dorsal fin. Grey above and white below with a sharp demarcation between the two colours.

Kei mate ā-tarakihi koe, engari kia mate ā-ururoa (TP 5/1906:2). / You should not die like the tarakihi, but rather you should die like a shark. (A whakatauākī to exemplify courage.)

Show example

Hide example

See also mangō ururoa

Synonyms: mangō


2. (noun) purple sunset shell, Gari stangeri - a triangular-shaped bivalve mollusc common in sand, mud or gravel near low tide. Whitish outside shell striped with purple and inside bright purple.

See also kuwharu

Synonyms: wahawaha, kuharu, kuwharu

makao

1. (stative) be spiky (like shark's teeth).


2. (noun) shark's tooth, shark's tooth ear ornament.

Kātahi ka wetekina te hei, te tara, te makao, ka horahia atu, ka hoatu ki te mano e noho mai rā (NM 1928:152). / Then the neck ornament, the cloak pin and the shark's tooth were untied, laid out and presented to the thousands sitting there.

Show example

Hide example

mako

1. (noun) shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus - a large, fast-moving oceanic shark with deep blue back and white underparts. Front dorsal fin large. Up to 5.85 m long. Found throughout the world in temporate and tropical seas and to 49 degrees south in Aotearoa/New Zealand waters from surface to over 550 m depth.

Synonyms: ngutukao


2. (noun) tooth of a mako shark, shark-tooth ornament.

Ki te hunga ki tōna whakaaro e tika ana, makere noa ana i a ia te patu pounamu, te kete, te tāniko, te korowai, te tokotoko tae noa ki tana mako tautau, tēnei rā tētahi o āna tino taonga (TTR 1998:208). / He gave to visitors he thought worthy, greenstone clubs, flax baskets, tāniko weaving, korowai cloaks, walking sticks and even one of his priceless shark's-tooth ear pendants.

Show example

Hide example

mangō tuatini

1. (noun) white shark, white pointer, Carcharodon carcharias - a large heavy-bodied shark found in temperate and tropical waters. Eats a wide variety of fish and birds and attacks humans. Noted for its broadly triangular teeth with serrated edges. The largest of man-eating sharks, with the largest individuals known to reach 6 metres in length and 2,268 kilograms in weight. Large spindle-shaped body with pointed snout. Near-symetrical tail, large first dorsal and very small second dorsal fin. Grey above and white below with a sharp demarcation between the two colours.

See also mangō ururoa

taha pounamu

1. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca -  sometimes as taha-pounamu or tahapounamu. Light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

makō

1. (noun) rig, spotted dogfish, gummy shark, smooth-hound, Mustelus lenticulatus - a shark, pale golden brown to grey above with numerous small blue-and-white spots, white below.

See also mangō

Synonyms: pīokeoke, mangō, pioke

mangōpare

1. (noun) hammerhead shark, Sphyrna zygaena - an ashy-grey coloured shark with lateral extensions of the skull shaped like a double-headed hammer. The eyes are at the extremities of the hammerhead.

E toru ngā momo kōwhaiwhai kei runga i ngā poupou. Kei runga i tētahi ko te mangōpare (TWK 51:31). / There are three types of painted artwork on the posts. On one is a hammerhead shark.

Show example

Hide example


2. (noun) traditional kōwhaiwhai pattern - symbolises the hammerhead shark.

mangō ripi

1. (noun) thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus - a widespread warm-water shark recogniseable by the extremely large upper fluke of the tail. Dark bluish grey above and white below.

tope

1. (noun) school shark, Galeorhinus galeus - a pale brownish-grey shark similar to a bigger version of a dogfish, having a double tail and pointed nose. Teeth small, pointed and sharp. Found in coastal and ocean waters from shallow depths to 1100 m.

See also mangō

Synonyms: kapetā, tupere, mangō

aupounamu

1. (noun) bow point of a war canoe.


2. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca - sometimes as mangō aupounamu or mangō au pounamu. Light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Kia akona hoki ki a koe te karakia taki mai i ngā mokopuna a Rongo-huakai, te mangō aupounamu, te mangō huri taniwha, te mangō makomako, te mangō waha tara. He mangō kai tangata katoa ēnei (JPS 1922:23). / You should be taught the karakia that attract the offspring of Rongo-huakai, the blue shark, the huritaniwha shark, the mako shark and the dogfish. These are all man eating sharks.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: matawhā, mangō au pounamu, mangō pounamu, taha pounamu, ngengero

kakere

1. (noun) hammerhead shark, Sphyrna zygaena - an ashy-grey coloured shark with lateral extensions of the skull shaped like a double-headed hammer. The eyes are at the extremities of the hammerhead.

See also mangōpare


2. (noun) game where a piece of kūmara or other object is stuck on a wand and is thrown by swinging the wand.

matawhā

1. (noun) bronze whaler, Carcharhinus brachyurus - a heavy-bodied shark up to 3 m long with a broadly rounded snout. Bronze above, sometimes olive-green. Common around upper North Island but occurs south to Cook Strait and Tasman Bay in summer.

See also ngengero


2. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca -  light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

mangō au pounamu

1. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca -  light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

mangō pounamu

1. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca -  light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

New favourites & quiz!

The Te Aka Māori Dictionary mobile app now has the ability to sort your favourite words into folders. Plus, these folders can be turned into a quiz for a fun way to learn words and definitions. Download or update the app today!

iOS Android

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