Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

piripiri

1. (verb) (-ngia) to keep close, close together, stick, cling, adhere.

I pōuri tonu te rangi me te whenua i mua: ko Rangi rāua ko Papa e piripiri tonu ana, kāore anō i wehea noatia (KO 16/9/1886:4). / Formerly the sky and the land were still in darkness: Rangi and Papa still clung together and were not yet separated.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: rūnā, whakapiri, piri


2. (noun) burr, biddy-bid, Acaena anserinifolia - a common creeping native plant with toothed leaves, white flowers like a spiky ball and fruit of green burrs, turning reddish brown.


3. (noun) drooping filmy fern, Hymenophyllum demissum - the commonest of all filmy ferns, especially on the ground in wetter parts of the country. Has large smooth fronds.


4. (noun) filmy fern, Hymenophyllum sanguinolentum - a terrestrial or epiphytic native fern forming dense patches. Rhizomes long-creeping, slender, fronds dark green, strongly aromatic and was used as a scent. Stipes 20-90 mm long and slender. A very common and widespread species of closed or open forest and shrub-land from coastal to subalpine areas. Also a common species of shaded canyon walls, cliff faces, rock tors, boulder-field and talus slopes.


5. (noun) pygmy tree orchid, Ichthyostomum pygmaeum - a tiny orchid that forms tangled mats of rhizomes and pseudobulbs.One leaf grows from each pseudobulb. Leaves are pointed, green to dark green, 4-10 mm long and 2-4 mm wide with a slightly rough upper surface. Often epiphytic on bumpy bark and outer limbs of trees in coastal and montane forest.


6. (noun) Gonocarpus incanus​ - wiry, erect or diffusely branched endemic herb up to 40 cm. tall.


7. (noun) Gonocarpus micranthus subsp. micranthus - a slender native herb up to 10 cm. tall, rooting from lowest nodes and having many stems.


8. (noun) rifleman, Acanthisitta chloris - Aotearoa/New Zealand's smallest bird, distinguished by its rounded wings, a very short stumpy tail and a fine, slightly upturned bill. The male is bright yellow-green above while the female is streaked dark and light brown and both have whitish underparts. Found in native forests and scrub.

Te Kākano 3rd Edition

New edition of the leading Māori-language textbook out now.

More info

The App

Te Aka Māori Dictionary is also available as an iOS and Android app. Download below.

iOS Android

The Book

Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index by John C Moorfield comprises a selection of modern and everyday language that will be extremely useful for learners of the Māori language.

More info

He Pātaka Kupu

Te kai a te rangatira

He Pātaka Kupu is a monolingual Māori language dictionary, and was designed using its own culturally authentic terms.

Visit website

00:00