pūhihi
1. (verb) to be stiff, standing upright (especially of the hair).
Ko te uru, he kehu, arā, i āhua whero, ā, kāhore i tikitikia; he mea puhipuhi kia pūhihi, ā nui noa atu te āhua pokuru, me te āhua whanewhane nei i te tū mai (JPS 1896:4). / Their hair was also light-coloured, that is reddish, and never bound up in a top-knot, it was bunched out to be stiff, and appeared in lumps (or tufts), and they looked irritable as they stood there.
2. (modifier) slender, slight.
He tangata pūhihi noa te hanga o Pōkiha, he tangata tū takotako, tau kē nei hoki ki te mau kaka; hau ai tōna rongo ki te whaikōrero ki te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā (TTR 2000:157). / Pōkiha was a slight figure of erect carriage and immaculate dress; he was famed as an orator in both Māori and English.
3. (noun) ray (of the sun, stars, etc.).
Tīhaehae ana ngā pūhihi i ngā kapua o te rangi (TWK 36:16). / The sun's rays pierced the clouds in the sky.
4. (noun) antenna, aerial.
Ki tā ngā mātanga pūtaiao, e toru ngā wāhanga tinana o te pepeke (ko te pane, te tārāuma me te puku), e ono ngā waewae. He pūhihi ō ētahi, he parirau hoki ō ētahi (RP 2009:324). / Scientists classify insects as having three body segments (head, thorax and abdomen) and six legs. Some have antennae and some have wings.
5. (noun) plume, streamer (of a kite, etc.).
6. (noun) brush (on the end of a tūī's tongue) - sometimes was cut to to enable the tūī to speak distinctly.
Ka tohia ngā pūhihi o te kōkō (W 1971:304). / The brushes at the end of the tongue of the tūī were cut.
