Haka
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈhɑːkə/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Haka is a noun meaning (intransitive) To perform the haka.
Meaning
(intransitive) To perform the haka.
More Meanings
- A group dance of New Zealand's Māori people featuring rhythmic chanting, vigorous facial and arm movements, and foot stamping. Traditionally a war dance, today it is also performed to welcome guests, as a mark of respect at occasions such as commemorations and funerals, as a challenge to opposing teams at sports events, and for artistic purposes.
Example Sentences
[T]hey hoisted him up to the ridge pole and lighted the fire; they began to haka, when they were tired of that they sang songs, […]
[T]he children might get up and dance in the middle of their sums. Matawhero might stand up and lead a haka if I'm not careful. Oh dear.
We captured the trenches midst our hakas and cheering. The other party did well, we could hear them on the opposite hill cheering, and hakaing as they went along.
An already febrile atmosphere within the ground before the start had been stoked still further when France's players formed an arrow formation to face down the haka, and then advanced slowly over halfway as the capacity crowd roared.
Word Forms
- hakas
- hakaing
- hakaed
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include hakari, tangihanga, pohiri, pukana, hamatsa, hula.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.