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puka
[ poo-kuh ]
/ ˈpu kə /
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noun
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
Words nearby puka
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.
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 EmersonHere, 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
Word Origin for puka
Māori
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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