kakati
1. (transitive verb) to bite, sting, nip.
I Oketopa o te tau 1876, kakati ana te ngau whakautu a Taiaroa i ngā kōrero a te kaiwhakawā matua, a Te Penetana, arā, nāna te kōrero kāre he pūtake o ngā pitihana a Ngāi Tahu mō ngā whenua i hokona i Ōtākou, me ērā hoki i hokona mai e Te Keepa (TTR 1994:102) / In October 1876 Taiaroa issued a trenchant reply to Chief Judge F.D. Fenton, who had criticised as unfounded Ngāi Tahu’s petition regarding the land purchased at Otago and those bought by Kemp.
Synonyms: kuku, kikini, kini, kinikini, timotimo, timo, kukuti, kuti, kati, nanapi, pakini, honi, hohoni
2. (transitive verb) (katia) to eat, gnaw, chew.
He iti te mokoroa nāna i kakati te kahikatea (TTT 1/4/1923:9). / Although the mokoroa is small it attacks kahikatea. (A whakataukī suggesting that something that appears insignificant can bring down the mighty.)
3. (intransitive verb) to clench (the teeth).
Ka ngau te uhi ki tōna kiri, kakati ana ngā niho, mekemeke ana ngā ringa i te kino o te mamae (HJ 2017:27). / When the chissel bit into his skin, he clenched his teeth and fists because the pain was so bad.
4. (noun) bite, sting, nip, sharp taste.
Mangeo katoa te kakati o te namu (Te Ara 2015). / The sandfly inflicts an itchy bite.
Ko te wera o te rā kua tīmata te kakati i nāianei, me te rango hoki kua tīmata te kakati i te tangata i nāianei (TPH 30/12/1900:5) / The heat of the sun had begun biting now, and the flies had begun to bite people now.
