poka
1. (verb) (-ia,-ina) to make a hole in or through, bore, pierce, cut out, appear, poke.
Kei tētehi wāhi o tēnei marae tētehi rārangi pouaka tekau mā tahi, ā he mea poka te kōhao ki te taupoki o ia pouaka, o ia pouaka hei tukunga moni iho ki roto (KO 15/1/1884:15). / In one part of this courtyard is a line of eleven boxes and each one has a hole poked into the lid as a place to donate money.
2. (verb) (-ia,-na) to operate on (medical), undertake surgery, castrate, geld, spay, neuter.
He kokoti anō tāna mahi i ngā hōiho, he poka i ngā raho o ngā tāriana (TTR 2000:246). / He also performed surgery on horses and gelded stallions.
3. (verb) to make one's way, strike a path.
I poka tonu mai a Te Arawa mā te taha o Whakaari, pā rawa mai Moehau (JPS 1893:222). / Te Arawa made its way past White Island, to Cape Colville.
4. (verb) to appear, come into view.
Nā, i te poka whakatata ki te whakaeroero ngā whetū i te ata hāpara, ka wehewehe ngā matua e toru nei, he rau tōpū ki te matua kotahi (JPS 1919:124). / So, when the stars were about to disappear at dawn, the three divisions of the army, each one of two hundred, separated.
5. (noun) hole, pit, well, puncture, dungeon.
Ki te rū te whenua, ka tuwhera ngā poka hōhonu, ka whakahoroa ngā maunga, ka hūrorirori ngā whare (TTT 1/7/1929:1029). / If there's an earthquake, deep holes open up, mountains are caused to collapse, and houses sway about.
Synonyms: wero, rua, kōruarua, kōrua, pārua, pōpokorua, pokopokorua, pokorua, hāpoki, pokere, waro, mārua, kororua
6. (noun) operation (medical).
Ko te poka i whakaritea ki te Hōhipera o Whanganui, kīhai i whakahaeretia nā te mea kāore i kitea te ngira (TTR 1996:150). / The planned operation at Whanganui Hospital did not eventuate because the needle could not be located.
