tohi
1. (verb) (-a) to cut, divide, distribute, separate, endue.
Tohia ā tātou purapura kia ranea ai (W 1971:430). / Divide our tubers so that there are plenty.
Synonyms: nahenahe, kōwaewae, kōwae, tokorau, māhiti, roherohe, tauwehe, tauārai, toritori, momotu, motu, motuhake, wae, wehewehe, wehe, whakatāuke, whakawehewehe, tiriwā, īheuheu, tīwae, tūhāhā, heu, ihi, tuakoi, wawae, whakawehe, kōwai, whakapirara, tāuke, tāwae, tāwaewae, totohi, tūtahi
2. (verb) (-a) to perform a ritual ceremony over a child in flowing water while petitioning the atua to endow the child with the desired mental and physical qualities. The child was dedicated to the particular atua by immersion in the water or by sprinkling it with water from a branch dipped in the stream.
Ka whānau a Tūhuruhuru, tamaiti a Tinirau, ka tonoa a Kae i Tihi-o-Manono kia haere mai hei tohi i a Tūhuruhuru (JPS 1928:269). / When Tūhuruhuru, the child of Tinirau, was born, Kae was asked to come from Tihi-o-Manono to perform the baptismal rite over Tūhuruhuru.
3. (verb) (-a) to perform ceremonies success in battle.
Ka heke atu rāua ki te wairere, ka tohia e Te Aotaki a Tū-whakairi-ora (JPS 1911:20). / They descended together to the running stream, and Te Aotaki performed the tohi rite over Tū-whakairi-ora.
4. (verb) (-a) to boil with hot stones.
5. (noun) dedication rite, baptism rite, child dedication ritual - a ritual ceremony over a child in flowing water while petitioning the atua to endow the child with the desired mental and physical qualities. The child was dedicated to the particular atua by immersion in the water or by sprinkling it with water from a branch dipped in the stream.
Nā Te Toiroa tonu i tūā, ka tohia ki te tohi a Tūmatauenga, te atua o te riri, o te tangata hoki (TTR 1990:216). / Te Toiroa performed the naming ceremony over him, dedicating him to Tūmatauenga, atua of war and of humankind.
6. (noun) vessel in which cooking was done by placing heated stones in the water.
