poi
1. (verb) (-a) to toss up, swing the poi, toss up and down, toss about.
Kāore i taro kua eke te waka nei ki runga o te maunga e kīia ana tōna ingoa ko te Hiwi-ki-Mata-terā, haere tonu; Anana! anō rā hoki a 'Tākitimu' kei runga tonu i te ringa tangata e poia ana (JPS 1908:94). / Before long the canoe rested on the mountain known as the Hiwi-ki-Mataterā. Then along it went. Wondrously! 'It was as if 'Tākitimu' was being tossed about upon someones hands.
2. (verb) (-a) to knead, make into balls.
3. (noun) poi - a light ball on a string of varying length which is swung or twirled rhythmically to sung accompaniment. Traditionally the ball was made of raupō leaves.
Poia atu taku poi, wania atu taku poi (M 2005:202). / Swing afar my poi, skim away my poi.
4. (noun) poi dance - songs performed, usually by women, in which the poi is swung in various movements to accompany the singing.
Nui atu te mihi ki ngā mahi o te pō, ngā waiata, ngā poi, ngā waiata Māori, Pākehā, me ngā haka taparahi a ngā kaumātua (TTT 1/12/1931:81). / There was much praise for the activities of the night, the songs, the poi, Māori and English songs, and the haka taparahi of the elders.
5. (noun) sphere.
He āhua ahu-3 te poi, he rite ki te āhua o Papatūānuku. Kotahi te mata kōpiko o te poi, kāore ōna kokonga. He ōrite te tawhiti o ngā pūwāhi katoa o te mata i te pū o te poi (TRP 2010:204). / The sphere is a 3-dimensional shape, similar to the shape of the earth. It has one curved surface with no corners. All points on the surface of a sphere are the same distance from its centre (TRP 2010:204).
