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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

pūpū

1. (verb) (-tia) to bundle together, make into bundles.

I tētahi pakanga ki a Whanganui ka pūpūtia e ia ngā monoao, kia pōhēhētia ai he tāngata (M 2004:332). / During a battle against the Whanganui tribes, he bundled up monoao trees so that the heaps would be mistaken for people.

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2. (noun) bundle, bunch.

Kātahi te tangata rā ka hoatu i te pūpū aruhe (JPS 1893:45). / Then that man gave him the bundle of fern-root.

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3. (noun) winkle, common cat's eye, cat's eye turban shell, Turbo smaragdus - a  univalve mollusc common on rocks between tides, the shell is dark, heavy and smooth, and has an eye-like operculum. Lives on the tiny young seaweeds on the rocks. A favourite traditional food of Māori.

He kai ngāwari hoki tērā, te pūpū, ki te mahi (TTT 1/2/1929:933). / Cats eyes are an easy food to produce.

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4. (noun) large trumpet shell, Charonia lampas rubicunda - shell from deep water which is almost white and was used as a trumpet.

Ka pūhia te pūpū e ngā kaipupuhi i te pūpū (Kāretu 2015). / The conch shell was blown by the conch shell blowers.

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See also pūpū tara

Synonyms: awanui, pūpū tara

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