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haka

[ hah-kah ]
/ ˈhɑ kɑ /

noun

a ceremonial Maori war dance that involves chanting.
a similar performance by a sports team, especially before a Rugby match in New Zealand.

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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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for haka

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