mātai
1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-tia) to inspect, examine, investigate, scan, observe, note.
Haere ki te mātai i ō waka (W 1971:187). / Go and inspect your pigeon troughs.
Synonyms: pitopito kōrero, matawai, karapa, titiro, tiro, mātaki, mātakitaki, mataara, mātātaki
2. (verb) (-hia,-tia) to gaze at intently, gaze longingly.
Tāu mahi he mātai: kāore koe e whakamā? (W 1971:187). / You are staring: aren't you embarrassed?
3. (noun) field of study, -ology - used with names of fields of science, e.g. mātai puia for volcanology.
He peka matua te mātai koiora o te mātauranga pūtaiao e aro ana ki ngā mea ora i roto anō i ō rātou pūnaha hauropi (RP 2009:279). / Biology is a major branch of science focusing on living things in their ecosystems.
