tawhiri

/ (ˈtɑːfiːriː) /

noun plural tawhiri

a small New Zealand tree, Pittosporum tenuifolium, with wavy green glossy leavesAlso called: black matipo

Nearby words

taw, tawa, tawai, tawdry, tawheowheo, tawhiri, tawie, tawney, tawney, richard henry, tawny, tawny owl

Word Origin for tawhiri

Māori 'wave to', from the Māori practice of waving tawhiri branches to welcome approaching visitors

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

Examples from the Web for tawhiri

Afterwards the last son, Tawhiri (father of storms), was angry and waged war against his brothers.
Legends of Ma-ui--a demi god of Polynesia, and of his mother Hina|W. D. Westervelt
Only Tawhiri Matea (the wind) had pity on his own father and mother.
Custom and Myth|Andrew Lang