haka

[ hah-kah ]

/ ˈhɑ kɑ /

Save This Word!

noun

a ceremonial Maori war dance that involves chanting.

a similar performance by a sports team, especially before a Rugby match in New Zealand.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of haka

First recorded in 1830–40; from Maori; akin to Tongan haka “hand gestures performed in a song,” Hawaiian ha‘a, Samoan sa‘a “dance,” from assumed Proto-Polynesian saka

Words nearby haka

Haitink, haji, Haji-Ioannou, hajj, hajji, haka, hakafoth, hakapik, hakari, hake, hakea

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use haka in a sentence

The Haka, a traditional Maori dance, is best known as the pregame ritual of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team.
Cartoon Streetfights, Giant Mutant Spider Dogs, and More Viral Videos|Jack Holmes|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their skulls had decorated the village of some Chin chief at Haka ever since.
The Pacification of Burma|Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
The Hakas, lying south of the Tashon country and round about Haka.
The Pacification of Burma|Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
A great Maori haka was held, to which not only the natives themselves, but the whole of the English inhabitants, were invited.
The Chronicles of a Gay Gordon|Jos Maria Gordon

On the 9th the sappers, with a covering escort, commenced work on the road to Haka, which was sixty-four miles distant.
The Pacification of Burma|Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
Every one thought that our men would be in Haka in ten or twelve days, and all calculations were based on this estimate.
The Pacification of Burma|Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite

British Dictionary definitions for haka

haka

/ (ˈhɑːkə) /

noun NZ

a Māori war chant accompanied by gestures

a similar performance by a rugby team

Word Origin for haka

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