hohoni
1. (verb) (-a) to nibble, nip, bite.
He ngau kino tā Waeroa pērā anō me tā Puruhi ngau, engari he koi atu tāna. Whakaatu ai ia i a ia; ko tāna whakaatu ko tāna waiata, ko tāna pao. Ko te wā e kōkiri ai ia hei te pō, kia moe te tangata. Ka hohoni ana ia kāore e ārikarika te mamae (TTT 1/9/1931:37). / Mosquito has a terrible bite like Flea's bite, but it's sharper. It reveals itself with its song, its ditty. When it attacks it is at night when a person's asleep. When it bites it's quite painful.
See also honi
2. (verb) (-a) to graze, skim by, glance off.
I hohoni te matā, kīhai i ngoto (W 1971:58). / The bullet grazed him, it didn't penetrate.
3. (verb) (-a,-tia) to skirt round, go around, bypass, avoid.
I hohoni haere ngā tāngata i te wahine e takoto ana i te taha o te huarahi. / The people skirted around the woman lying on the side of the road.
4. (noun) devouring, consuming, ravaging, wasting away.
Ka tīmata pea te hohoni a ngā ekara i tā rātou tūpāpaku! / Perhaps the eagles devouring of their corpse has begun.
5. (noun) nibble, nip, bite.
Kei te mōhio a Āpirana ki te hohoni a te puruhi i ōna kōpikopikotanga i ō tātou marae huhua.(TTT 1/9/1931:38). / Āpirana knows the bite of the flea from his wanderings around our many marae.
See also honi
Synonyms: kakai, tītongitongi, katikati, kōtamu, tītongi, hārau, honihoni, honi, kōhonihoni, kuku, kikini, kini, kinikini, timotimo, timo, kakati, kukuti, kuti, kati, nanapi, pakini
