puka

[ poo-kuh ]

/ ˈpu kə /

Save This Word!

noun

a small white shell found on Pacific, especially Hawaiian, beaches and strung in clusters to make necklaces.

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 puka

First recorded in 1970–75; of uncertain origin

Words nearby puka

puirtith, puisne, puissance, puissant, puja, puka, pukatea, puke, pukeko, pukey, pukka

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

How to use puka in a sentence

From the word puka, abrupt phenomenon, and the verb saugi, outflowing.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
When the kumu reached the door on his return, he made himself known by reciting a mele wehe puka, the conventional password.
Unwritten Literature of Hawaii|Nathaniel Bright Emerson
Here, in the dense puka and mangrove scrub, there was hope of safety.
Rodman The Boatsteerer And Other Stories|Louis Becke

British Dictionary definitions for puka

puka

/ (ˈpuːkɑː) /

noun plural puka

NZ another name for broadleaf (def. 2)

Word Origin for puka

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