rākau
1. (noun) tree, stick, timber, wood, spar, mast, plant - not normally used before the names of trees or plants.
Kua hōhonu ki te whenua ngā pakiaka o te rākau e kore e taea te huhuti (TWM 17/7/1869:1). / The roots of the tree are deep into the ground and cannot be pulled out.
Kua hokona he karaka, rākau nei, mō taku kāinga (HJ 2012:98). / A karaka, the tree, has been bought for my home.
Synonyms: rewa, tira, maihi, maihe, māhi, tipu, rumaki, tiri, tiritiri, kōkō, whakatō, whakatōtō, whakatopatopa, marotiritiri, tanu, pou, tou
2. (noun) weapon, arms, bat.
He manuao ririki rawa iho ēnei, he torutoru ōna pū, he tere, ko tana tino rākau patu he tōpiro (TP 11/1899:3). / These are much smaller warships, with few guns, are faster and their main weapons are torpedoes.
Synonyms: hauhau
3. (noun) challenge stick - the stick or baton that the kaiwero lays down at the pōhiri to a distinguished visitor.
Ka takoto tana rākau, ka hoki whakamuri, ka tīmata ki te ngangahu, me te whiu tika i tana taiaha, me te hūpekepeke a ōna waewae (HP 1991:84). / His challenge stick lay there and he moved backwards and began to make high pitched yelps, to wield his taiaha and to jump up and down with bent legs.
