Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries

1. vs. To stand, stop, halt, anchor, moor; to rise, as dust; to hit, strike, jab; to park, as a car; to alight, as a bird or plane on the ground; to land, as a plane or ship; to stay, remain, exist; to reach, extend, arrive; upright, perpendicular, steep, erect, standing, parked.

• Examples:
  • Mahea ke kaʻa e kū ai? Where will the car be parked? Wai kū, stagnant water.
  • Kai kū, quiet sea, especially at mid-tide.
  • Ua hoʻoholo ʻia ke kaula a kū ma ʻō, the rope was let out as far as over there.
  • E kū i hōʻike noʻu, stand as a witness for me.
  • Kū i ke kui, pierced by the needle; punctured by a nail [as a tire].
  • Kū i ka pōkā, hit by a bullet.
  • Kū ʻumi lau kānaka i ka make, ten four-hundreds of men were struck dead.
  • Nā kānāwai e kū nei, existing laws.
• Related:
  • Kū is used in some idioms in sense of “up, out”: Kū hele pēlā! Get out! Kū ā hele! Go! Go away! Kū! Whoa! Stop! Halt! Kū anahulu ka moku, the ship anchors every ten days.
  • hoʻokū Caus/sim.; To set up, make stand, establish, as a society; to brace a canoe with a paddle while sailing or coasting over waves in order to steer and steady the canoe; to carry on, as a family name (Kanl. 25.7).
    • Hoʻokū ākea, to make known publicly.
• References:
  • See ex., pololei #1.
  • PPN tuʻu.

2. n. Stand, pedestal, base; stem, as of a goblet; frame of a bed, including footboard and headboard; end, as of a rainbow.

• References:
  • Cf. kūmoe

3. vs. In a state of, resembling, like, due to, because of (often followed by i or ā).

• Examples:
  • Kū i ka pilikia, to be in trouble, wrong.
  • Kū i ke kala, to forgive.
  • A waiho kū ā maʻi maoli ihola ia, he remained very sick.
  • I kū ka pōloli, eia nō ka ʻai, when hungry, here's food.
  • Kū ā kahiko, as of long ago.
  • Kū ka hakakā o kēlā poʻe, those people have long been fighting.
  • Kū nō i ka makuahine, having the character or appearance of the mother.
  • Kū loa i ka leo, exactly like the voice or tune, high fidelity.
  • Hele ā nui ka iʻa, a kū ka hāʻawi, there were so many fish [they] gave [them) away.
  • Waiho wale, mai nō ka limu, a kū ka pilau, the seaweed lay there until it stunk.
• Related:
  • hoʻokū Caus/sim.; To produce a resemblance, likeness.
    • Na ia mea i hoʻokū ā maʻi iaʻu, that thing made me ill.
• References:
  • PPN tuu.

4. vi. To appear, show, reveal; to start, go; to achieve; to change into, transform; beginning, appearance; arrival.

• Examples:
  • E noho ana nō māua e kamaʻilio, a kū ana ʻo Pele, we were sitting talking when Pele suddenly appeared.
  • Ma ia malama e pono aʻe ka piʻa kū (Kep. 95), during this month it is right for the piʻa tuber to show above ground.
  • Nā hana kū i ke aloha, deeds that show love.
  • Kū a kanaka aʻela ua moʻo nei, the moʻo changed into a human.
  • Kū a pōhaku (For. 4:61), to turn into stone.
  • Ma ke kū o ia malama e helu ai i ka makahiki hou, with the coming of this month the new year will be counted in.

5. vi. To run in schools, as fish; numerous, as octopus in season.

• Examples:
  • Nānā, he akule kū! Look, the akule school is running!
  • Kai kū weli, sea with phosphorescence.

6. vs. vt. Suitable, proper, O.K., appropriate, fitting; ready, prepared; to fit, as clothes; merit, cause; to deserve.

• Examples:
  • I kū nō ka hele i ka lako i ke kālā, it is all right to go when supplied with money.
  • ʻEʻoe kū ka hāuna lāʻau a kāua i kō kāne (FS 57), our club-thrusting technique is not suitable for your husband.
• References:
  • Cf. kūpono.

7. vt. To rule or reign, as a land.

• Examples:
  • Ua kū ʻo Liliʻu i ka moku, Liliʻu is ruler of the land.

8. vt. To soak, as clothes.

9. vt. To post, as a bond.

• Related:
  • Mea kū pona, bondsman.

10. (Cap.) n. Name for the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days of the month, usually called respectively Kū Kahi, Kū Lua, Kū Kolu, Kū Pau.

11. (Cap.) n. Ancient Hawaiian god of war. Prayers connected with this major god include Kūkoliʻi, Kūlawa, Kūlewalewa, Kūpapaʻa, Kūwā, Kūwī.

• References:
  • Cf. waipā.
  • For. 6:21.
  • PEP Tuu.

12. vi. To set apart a period for prayers for a special object; to pray for.

• Examples:
  • E kū ana au nou, I will be praying for you.

13. n. Months of pregnancy.

• Examples:
  • I ka hāpai ʻana a ka walu o ke kū, a laila kiʻi i ka lāʻau hoʻopaheʻe, in the eighth month of pregnancy, get some slimy medicine.

14. Part. qualifying verbs (Gram. 7.1). Abruptly, rudely, defiantly, unceremoniously, without observance of taboos or niceties, brusque.

• Examples:
  • Hoʻopuka kū, to speak plainly, crudely, bluntly, without regard for feelings of others.
  • Kaha kū (FS 235), to go anywhere one pleases.
  • Kāʻili kū, to snatch away ruthlessly.
  • ʻAko kū i ka pua, to pick flowers without permission.
  • Moaʻe kū, strong Moaʻe tradewind.
• References:
  • See ʻai kū, kuke kū.

15. nvi. Stew; to stew.

• Source:
  • English.
• Examples:
  • Moa kū, stewed chicken.

16. See ʻili kūpono.

Qualitative and stative prefix.

• References:
  • Gram. 6.3.2.

Variant of kū-.