matamata
1. (noun) point, extremity.
He whero pūmangu, he tiwha nui kai te rae, he mā kai te matamata o te ihu, e toru waewae mā, he raho-poka, he hōiho āhua nui, he parani rānei kai te papa katau, he mate rānei, kīhai i mārama (TW 14/12/1878:631). / It has a blackish rump, a large patch on the forehead, the tip of the nose is white, it has three white legs and is a gelding. It's quite a large horse and has a brand on the right flank but the problem is that it isn't clear.
Synonyms: koi, tāmore, koinga, toi, toitoi, tara, tihi, mata, matū, tongi, hiku, kūmore, raenga, akitu, paina, ngahu
2. (noun) headland, promontory, bluff.
Haere, whāia atu ngā tapuae o tō pōtiki, o Te Ōtene, kāore anō kia mātaotao noa ngā tapuae i runga i ngā tihi o ngā maunga o roto o te riu o Heretaunga. Haere me kore e mau i a koe tō pōtiki, ki te ākau o te matamata ki Te Poroporo (TPH 9/11/1904:17). / Go, follow in the footsteps of your youngest child, Te Ōtene, which have not yet cooled on the summits of the mountains in the Heretaunga basin. Go and you might catch up to your youngest child on the rocky shore of the headland at Te Poroporo.
Synonyms: mātārae, kūmū, koi, kūmore, rae, more, koraenga, kūraenga, kūmū, ponaihu, koutu, tūmū, kūrae, rae, raenga
3. (noun) top, summit.
Ko ngā pihi o te purapura i te take o te purapura e kore e tino kaha te tupu o ērā, tēnā ko te pihi e tupu ake ana i te matamata o te rīwai e ngakia ana hei purapura, ko te pihi tērā e tino nui he rīwai e tupu (TW 20/4/1878:177). / The sprouts at the base of the tuber don't grow very vigorously, whereas the shoots growing up from the top of the potato produce much more vigorous offspring.
4. (noun) source (of a river, etc.).
He nui ngā kino kei roto i te awa i tēnei wāhi, he pai kē atu ngā wai i te matamata o te awa (PK 2008:422). / There are a lot of pollutants in the river in this part, but the water is better at the source of the river.
