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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

pohutukawa en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /pəˌhuːtəˈkʌːwə/ (New-Zealand)
  • /pəˌhuːtəˈkɑːwə/ (UK)
  • /poːˈhutukʌwʌ/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori pōhutukawa.

Meanings

  1. A coastal evergreen tree, Metrosideros excelsa, native to New Zealand and producing a brilliant display of red flowers with prominent stamens around Christmastime.
    • I found in an old-fashioned garden overlooking the beach and the pohutukawa trees, the mulberry tree with leaves to feed our ‘charges’, and a kindly owner willing to give me supplies of leaves. 1984, Janet Frame, An Angel at my Table, Virago, published 2024, page 279:
    • On the map, this road ends with the representation of a sacred pōhutukawa tree. 2020, Sujit Sivasundaram, Waves Across the South, William Collins, published 2021, page 12:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pohutukawa Number=Plur lexicographic
pohutukawas Number=Plur lexicographic
pahutukawa alternative lexicographic
pōhutukawa alternative lexicographic

Synonyms

Christmas tree · New Zealand Christmas tree

Translations (2)

pl metrosideros wyniosły (Metrosideros excelsa) · fi maorihehkupuu (Metrosideros excelsa)