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matai

British

/ ˈmɑːtaɪ /

noun

Also called: black pine. a coniferous evergreen tree of New Zealand, Podocarpus spicatus, having a bluish bark and small linear leaves arranged in two rows: timber used for flooring and weatherboards

"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 matai

Māori

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.

In Samoa, only a matai - a family or clan leader - can be elected to parliament.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2021

She was now the leader of her clan, or matai.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2021

"Fundamentally our electoral system was premised on our traditional matai system," she said.

From Reuters • Jul. 30, 2021

Their matai represents the family on the village council, doles out justice and ensures customs are abided.

From Time Magazine Archive

Every considerable chief had his matai, but those of Rewa, descended from Tongan immigrants, were the most esteemed in the west and those of Kambara in the east.

From The Fijians A Study of the Decay of Custom by Thomson, Basil

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023