awarua
1. (noun) ditch, trench.
Nō te marangatanga mai o te 300 o ngā hōia o Peretānia ki te taiapu i te pā, e whanga atu ana a Ngāi Te Rangi i ō rātou wāhi whakarurunga. He maha ngā awarua e honohono haere ana i aua wāhi whakarurunga (TTR 1990:126). / When 300 British infantry stormed the pā, Ngāi Te Rangi were waiting in their defences. There were many trenches connecting those defences.
2. (noun) central passage (in a house).
Ka kawea anō kia kī tonu te awarua o te whare i te kai (JPS 1926:157). / Some more was taken until the central passage of the house was full of food.
3. (noun) corridor - strip of territory between two other tribes or rivers.
Ko te whakarāpopototanga i ngā whakamārama mō ngā rohe o tēnei iwi, arā ko ngā awa o Whangaehu rāua ko Rangitīkei, ko Ngāti Apa kei te awarua (B 1979:118). / This is the summary of the explanations for the boundaries of this tribe, that is Ngāti Apa is in the corridor of land between the Whangaehu and Rangitīkei rivers.
4. (noun) dogskin cloak - made of alternate strips of black and white dogs' hair. Often as kurī awarua or kurīawarua.
See also kurīawarua
