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ariki

American  
[ah-ree-kee] / ɑˈri ki /

noun

plural

ariki
  1. (in Polynesia) a chief or king.


ariki British  
/ ˈɑːrɪkɪ /

noun

  1. the first-born male or female in a notable family; chief

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ariki

From Maori

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.

The ariki of the Ngatewhatua lives at Tanoa.

From Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2) or Settler and Maori in Northern New Zealand by Hay, William Delisle

The word ariki signifies properly the first-born or heir, whether male or female, of a family.

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

KAI-KOUMOU, as frequently happens among the Maories, joined the title of ariki to that of tribal chief.

From In Search of the Castaways; or the Children of Captain Grant by Verne, Jules

Chance had led the slayer of Tuwhare to put his head into the self-same tree where the dead ariki had, a short time previously, disposed the tiki.

From Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2) or Settler and Maori in Northern New Zealand by Hay, William Delisle

For the ariki is thoroughly aware of the gradual extinction which is coming for his race.

From Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2) or Settler and Maori in Northern New Zealand by Hay, William Delisle