tapuwae
1. (noun) footprint, tread.
Tērā i mua tata atu kua tae tētehi tangata ki te tāhae kūmara i te rua kūmara a Mahanga. I te haerenga o Hotu-nui ka takahia e ia ngā tapuwae o tērā, ā, nō te ata ka tirohia i ngā takahanga, ka kīia nā Hotu-nui te tāhaetanga i ngā kūmara (NIT 1995:105). / Shortly before, someone had been to steal kūmara from Māhanga's kūmara storage pit. Hotu-nui had trodden in the footsteps of the thief, and in the morning when the footprints were examined it was said that Hotu-nui had stolen the kūmara.
2. (noun) flat part at the extreme stern of a canoe.
3. (noun) charm to insure speed, ritual chant for speed.
Ka tīmata te ako o ngā karakia, i te mākutu, i te awherangi, i te ruaroa, i te hoa, i te mātākai, i te tapuwae, i te ātahu, i te karakia mō ngā atua o te rangi, i te karakia mō ngā atua o te whenua, me ngā atua o te moana (JPS 1907:222). / Then teaching of the ritual chants began for: the exercise of witchcraft, the defensive spell to counter witchcraft by another tohunga, the ruaroa ritual, the charms exercising the power of mind over matter, the spell to kill someone while they were eating, the ritual chant to insure speed, love spells, and the ritual chants to appease the atua of the sky, land and ocean.