maruawatea
1. (noun) broad daylight.
He mea whakatau pēnei taua take, arā, i haere ohorere atu he marau i te maruawatea ki te tango mai i te pere i tōna wāhi whakairi i te whare karakia o Hāto Maria, kātahi ka haria atu ki te whare karakia hou i Te Puna, ā, oti atu ana ki reira (TTR 1994:96). / That matter was settled when a surprise raiding party took the bell from the belfry of St Mary's Church in broad daylight and removed the bell to the new church at Te Puna, where it remained.
