puka
[poo-kuh]
- a small white shell found on Pacific, especially Hawaiian, beaches and strung in clusters to make necklaces.
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Origin of puka
First recorded in 1970–75; of uncertain origin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
puka
- NZ another name for broadleaf (def. 2)
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Word Origin
Māori
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for puka
type of necklace made from small shell fragments (or plastic imitations), by 1974, from Hawaiian puka, said to mean literally "hole," in references to small shell fragments with naturally occurring holes through them, suitable for stringing, found on beaches.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper