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ahu

American  
[ah-hoo] / ˈɑ hu /

noun

  1. a stone heap or platform used by the Polynesians as a marker or memorial.


Etymology

Origin of ahu

From Hawaiian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

During this time, construction of ceremonial "ahu" platforms slowed, Rano Kao became a key ritual center, and a new social system known as "Tangata Manu" emerged.

From Science Daily • Feb. 10, 2026

When Chile leased the island, the foreigners who took over stripped all Rapanui tribes of their property, though several ahu and moai can still be seen on land they used to control.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2022

When Chile leased the island, the foreigners who took over stripped all Rapanui tribes of their property, though several ahu and moai can still be seen on land they used to control.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2022

In what became a pattern throughout the day, we would encounter something striking or unusual, like an ahu platform with a strange prow structure set in the front, and Beno would provide a thoughtful explanation.

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2016

The ahu, on the other hand, was a monument erected to the memory of a distinguished chief, whose mortal remains were deposited in it.

From The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead Vol. II by Frazer, James George, Sir