pouakai
pouakai Lexical Profile
• noun
New Zealand A massive, extinct eagle native to the South Island of New Zealand, recognized as the largest eagle to have ever existed and known as an apex predator that hunted moa.
"Paleontological discoveries in cave systems confirmed that the formidable pouakai was a very real raptor that dominated the prehistoric skies of New Zealand."
New Zealand A monstrous, man-eating bird in traditional Māori mythology, believed by modern scholars to be a cultural memory of the extinct Haast's eagle.
"According to local ancestral legends, the fierce pouakai was capable of swooping down from the mountains to carry off unwary humans."
Word Nuance & Usage
In standard New Zealand English, Māori loanwords do not conventionally take an 's' suffix for the plural; therefore, the plural of pouakai remains pouakai.
• Rhymes for pouakai
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Māori 'pouākai' or 'pōkākai', originally referring to a mythical monstrous bird in oral traditions that was later identified by paleontologists as the extinct Haast's eagle.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.