marae

/ (məˈraɪ) /

noun

NZ a traditional Māori tribal meeting place, originally one in the open air, now frequently a purpose-built building

(in Polynesia) an open-air place of worship

QUIZZES

CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?

American English is not always as it appears to be ... get to know regional words in this quiz!

Question 1 of 10

A bet is synonymous with a wager, but what does it mean in New York?

Often it means something is impossible.

It’s another way to agree with someone.

It serves as an apology.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Word Origin for marae

Māori

Words nearby marae

maraca, Maracaibo, Maracanda, Maracay, Maradona, marae, maraging steel, marais, Marais des Cygnes, Marajó, maranatha

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

Example sentences from the Web for marae

The Maori led Bent to a small thatched hut on one side of the marae.
The adventures of Kimble Bent|James Cowan
A council of the people was held on the marae, and the killing of Kane was narrated in minutest and barbaric detail.
The adventures of Kimble Bent|James Cowan
The body was then carried, amid songs and shouts of savage triumph, to the marae, there to be offered to the gods.
Curiosities of Superstition|W. H. Davenport Adams
The seven naked bodies were dragged into the pa and laid out in the centre of the marae.
The adventures of Kimble Bent|James Cowan

I recognised at once the old priest of the marae, but how changed since I last saw him!
The Island Home|Richard Archer

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY