niho
1. nvs. tooth; toothed; nipper, as of an insect; octopus beak; Aristotle's lantern, of a sea urchin; claw, as of crab; tusk; stones set interlocking, as in a wall; biting, of the teeth; cog.
2. n. tooth.
3. n. dental, in linguistics.
4. v. To bite with the teeth; to indent; to set in like teeth; to lay a stone wall in a bank of earth.
5. s. A tooth. Puk. 21:27. The tooth of an animal, especially a whale's tooth; e malama i ka niho palaoa, take care of the niho palaoa (an ornament made of a whale's tooth.) see palaoa. Niho elepane, elephant's tooth, i. e., ivory. 2 Oihl. 9:17. O ka niho mano ko Hawaii nei mea e ako ai i ka lauoho, a shark's tooth was the Hawaiian instrument for cutting the hair.
6. n. tapa or mat patterns, always followed by qualifiers; see:
niholiʻiliʻi, a tapa design. lit., small teeth or notches...
nihomanō, a tapa design. lit., shark tooth...
nihowilihemo, design on Niʻihau mats consisting of a series of pointed notches, called kulipuʻu elsewhere. lit., twisting loose tooth...
7. vs. to have whitecaps. |
| 53 | Aia ka ʻoʻoleʻa o ka pāpaʻi i ka niho. | The strength of the crab is in the claw. |
| | [All noise but no action. Said of one who makes threats but doesn’t carry them out.] |
| 349 | E mālama o loaʻa i ka niho. | Be careful or you’ll be caught by the teeth. |
| | [A warning to watch out lest one become a victim of sorcery. A person who practices sorcery is said to have teeth; that is, his sorcery “bites.”] |
| 689 | He kekē niho wale iho nō. | Just an exposing of teeth. |
| | [Just threats.] |
| 840 | He niho haʻi wale ko ka pāpaʻi. | A crab has claws that break off easily. |
| | [Said of one who offers to fight but backs down when the challenge is accepted.] |
| 888 | He pāpaʻi niho mole. | A crab minus a claw. |
| | [Said of a person with a missing tooth.] |
| 1274 | Ka ʻai niho ʻole a ka makani i ka ʻai. | Even without teeth the wind consumes the food crops. |
| | [Said of a destructive windstorm.] |
| 1733 | Ke kai piʻi kākala niho puaʻa. | The sea rises like a pointed hogs tusk. |
| 1746 | Kekē ka niho o ka pāpaʻi. | The crab exposes its teeth. |
| | [Sometimes when a crab sees a person it opens its claws as if to bite and then, at the first opportunity, seeks escape. Said of a threat that is uttered but will never be carried out.] |
| 1859 | Kū akula i ka pua; ke wī lā ka niho. | Hit by an arrow; now he is gnashing his teeth. |
| | [Now he is getting his just deserts.] |
| 2045 | Mai hana wale aku, he niho. | Do not annoy [him, for] he has teeth. |
| | [Do not tamper with him, for he knows the art of sorcery.] |
| 2049 | Mai hōʻaʻano aku o loaʻa i ka niho. | Don’t go daring others lest [you] be caught between the teeth. |
| 2298 | Nau nā kuʻi o ka niho o ka lā. | The teeth of the sun gnash. |
| | [Said of a very warm day in which the heat is almost unbearable.] |
| 2387 | ʻOi ka niho o ka lā i Kūmanomano. | Sharp are the teeth of the sun at Kūmanomano. |
| | [A very hot place is Kūmanomano. A play on manomano (much).] |
| 2720 | Puhi niho wakawaka. | An eel with pointed teeth. |
| | [A fierce and fearless warrior.] |
| 2892 | ʻUī ka niho o ka ʻiole. | The rat gnashes the teeth. |
| | [The culprit has been caught and put where he can do nothing more than gnash his teeth.] |
| 2938 | Wī ka niho o ke kolohe. | The mischief-maker now grinds his teeth. |
| | [Now the rascal is put where he can do no more harm — all he can do is grind his teeth.] |