1. (noun) ritual performed when warriors return from battle and require the tapu on them to be removed - included the kindling of two fires. One fire, the ahi horokaka was where the priest ate a kūmara and at the ahi ruahine a woman also ate a single kūmara. It was the woman who removed the tapu. This ceremony was accompanied by karakia. The warriors involved did not eat the kūmara.