whāō
1. (verb) (-tia) to take greedily, devour, gorge, wolf down.
Ko tētahi tonu tēnei o ngā mea tino nui ki te Pākehā, arā ko te nūpepa. Ka whāōtia e te Pākehā te nūpepa (TP 11/1912:1). / This is one of the most important things to the Pākehā, that is a newspaper. The Pākehā devours a newspaper.
Tērā ēnei whenua e whāōtia e te Pākehā (HKW 1/9/1899:7). / There are these lands being taken greedily by the Pākehā.
