weri
1. (noun) root, rootlet, root hair.
(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 20;)
Me whakaaro hoki ki te rākau nui e tupu ana i te nehenehe, kotahi anō tōna pakiaka nui, he maha kē ia ngā weri o taua pakiaka, e totoro haere ana ki roto ki te whenua (TK 2/10/1843:39). / Also consider a large tree growing in the forest, which has just one large taproot but many rootlets extending into the ground.
Synonyms: weu, pīakaaka, pūtake, rarau, pū, tāmore, take, akaaka
2. (noun) tentacle, feeler.
Ko te mahi a te weri he whāwhā, he pupuri, he āwhina rānei i te kīrehe ki te kai (TRP 2009:438). / Tentacles are for feeling, grasping and to help the animal to eat.
3. (noun) centipedes of various species.
He pōhēhē ā Pāora Hopere kāore e mōhio ki te hē, ki te tika, e tino rite ana ia ki te weri: ka motu te mātenga ka koiri tonu te tinana, ka motu te tinana ka tūngoungou tonu te mātenga, ka pīkarikari tonu ngā waewae, ka tīwhana tonu te whiore (TP 11/1908:4). / Pāora Hopere is confused, doesn't know right from wrong, and he is just like a centipede: cut off the head and the body still moves to and fro, cut off the body and the head still nods, the feet continue to shuffle and the tail continues to wag.
See also peketua
