ariki

[ah-ree-kee]

noun, plural a·ri·ki.

(in Polynesia) a chief or king.

Origin of ariki

From Maori

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ariki

Historical Examples of ariki

This misdemeanour was, in Maori eyes, fatal to his prestige as an ariki and a war-leader.
The adventures of Kimble Bent
James Cowan
These communities collectively acknowledged the superior prestige of an Ariki, or hereditary high chief.
The City of Auckland
John Barr
Next day the fern of his child is eaten by the Ariki (head chief).
Grammar of the New Zealand language (2nd edition)
Robert Maunsell
For the ariki is thoroughly aware of the gradual extinction which is coming for his race.
Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2)
William Delisle Hay

British Dictionary definitions for ariki

ariki

noun plural ariki

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

Word Origin for ariki

Māori

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