updated: 2/27/2026

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What is a reverse index?

A reverse index lists the words alphabetized by the last letters of the word, as if they were written from right to left.
This groups together all the words that end in the same way.

How it is arranged?

The index is in standard alphabetical order, with spaces, ʻokina and kahakō ignored, to group similar forms which may have variant spellings...
The headwords are links to the main dictionary.
The "definitions" following the headword are generally abridged, incomplete versions of the main entries... intended only to clarify which entry is indexed.
Full definitions, examples, etc., are at the main entry, reached by clicking on the headword.

How can this be useful?

Since words are grouped by endings, related words scattered through the dictionary can be examined together.

For example...

To examine words ending in some form of kaʻa, the index presents a list like this...

-kaa

kaʻa n. ground vehicle with wheels or runners. see entries below.
kaʻā nvt. thread, line, as of olonā fiber; snell of a fishline, snood; ply,...
kaʻa₁ vi. to roll, turn, twist, wallow, wind, braid, revolve; to scud or move along, as...
kaʻa₁₀ n. tale, legend (now replaced by kaʻao).
kaʻa₂ n. vehicle, carriage, wagon, automobile, car, cart, coach, buggy.
kaʻa₃ vi. to go past, pass by, reach; to be in a state of; to be located at; to take...
kaʻa₄ vi. to pay; paid.
kaʻa₅ vi. to manage, run, be in charge of; given, as work to a person; well versed,...
kaʻa₆ n. resin.
kaʻa₇ vt. to wipe dry with a cloth, as dishes. Kaʻū.
kaʻa₈ n. pulley.
kaʻa₉ see hoana kaʻa grindstone.
ʻākaʻa vt. to tear off, peel; to break open, as a seal (Hoik. 5.2); to fall off...
kaʻakaʻa vs. open, as a frame in a computer program. mōlina kaʻakaʻa. open...
-kaʻakaʻa hoʻo.kaʻa.kaʻa To cause to roll repeatedly. Also hoʻokakaʻa. (PPN takataka).
kaʻakaʻa₁ vt. to open, as the eyes; open, watching.
Kaʻakaʻa₂ n. name of a star or constellation, said to be on the border of the Milky Way.
kaʻakaʻa₃ rare variant of koʻa, coral head, fishing grounds.
ʻākaʻakaʻa peeled, as the skin by sunburn or by drinking kava; peeling; ruffled....
ʻākaʻakaʻa vs. to be peeling, as skin from sunburn.
mākaʻakaʻa redup. of mākaʻa clear and open...
pōkaʻakaʻa₁ overwhelmed and confused as by too much work.
pōkaʻakaʻa₂ redup. of pōkaʻa
pohā kaʻa n. rolling stone; thunder, peal of thunder, so called because thunder was believed...
kia kaʻa n. chauffeur, driver. Lit., car steerer.
kakaʻa nvi. to roll, whirl, turn over; to revolve, as a wheel; to turn aside, deviate;...
kākaʻa vi. to shift or roll, as the eyes.
maka kakaʻa n.v. shifty eyes; to have such.
pākakaʻa vi. to roll one at a time.
ʻēkakaʻa vi. to separate easily, as a nut from its shell.
pokakaʻa revolving, gyrating, whirling, spinning; wheel, as on a pulley or cart, swivel.
pokakaʻa hāmeʻa pokakaʻa. block and tackle, an arrangement of pulleys and rope...
hāmeʻa pokakaʻa n. block and tackle, an arrangement of pulleys and rope or cable used to lift or...
noho pokakaʻa n. swivel chair.
Ke-ala-kaʻa n. name of a star. Lit., the rolling pathway,
maka ʻā n. wide, staring eyes. Lit., glowing eye.
makaʻā₁ n. a fish (Malacanthus hoedtii).
mākaʻa₁ nvs. clear and open, as a view; a clearing.
makaʻā₂ n. a variety of sugar cane.
mākaʻa₂ n. a faint green striped mutant of the sweet potato.
hoana kaʻa n. grindstone, rolling grindstone.
holona kaʻa n. drive-through, as at a restaurant or bank.
ʻaila hōʻākaʻa n. shortening, as used in coooking. Lit., oil (to make) flaky.
pākaʻa₁ vs. lean, as meat.
pākaʻa₂ var. of ʻākaʻa tear off, peel...
pākaʻa₃ vt. to converse, tell interesting tales or anecdotes.
niu ʻākaʻa var. of niu ʻōkaʻa
kua kaʻa₁ see lani kua kaʻa
kua kaʻa₂ n. team (horse or oxen) closest to the pulled vehicle.
lani kua kaʻa n. poetic name for a very high chief or the highest heaven. Lit., sky with rolling...
ʻinikua kaʻa n. automobile insurance.
laikini kalaiwa kaʻa n. driver's license.
ʻaʻe kaʻa n. a step, as on a carriage; running board of an automobile.
hale kaʻa₁ n. garage, house for a vehicle.
hale kaʻa₂ n. carriage, chariot. (Puk. 14.7).
halekaʻa var. spelling of hale kaʻa₁ garage...
pale kaʻa n. car bumper.
moekaʻa n. trundle bed.
pēkaʻa₁ n. sap of the green kukui nut, formerly rubbed over the tongue with the...
pēkaʻa₂ n. seed of the kāʻeʻe vine.
kuekaʻa vt. to ransack, search.
hikaʻa vt. to tilt back, as the head.
keʻehi kaʻa same as ʻaʻe kaʻa
aniani kilohi kaʻa n. rear-view mirror for a car. also aniani kaʻa.
ʻilikaʻa n. harness.
kilikaʻa₁ nvi. a passing, moving shower; to shower lightly and briefly.
kilikaʻa₂ n. a kind of tapa, associated with Wai-piʻo, Hawaiʻi.
kilikilikaʻa redup. of kilikaʻa
milikaʻa vt. to handle over and over, to do repeatedly; to keep doing something of little...
pepa hoʻololi kaʻa n. a transfer authorizing change from one vehicle to another. Lit., paper changing...
laikini kaʻa n. auto or vehicle license.
kuʻikaʻa₁ vt. to swing and hit, as with a war club [this is the name of the club of the...
kuʻikaʻa₂ vt. to join together, splice.
ʻōkaʻa nvi. to revolve, spin; to roll, as a mat; a top; a roll; a dry coconut whose meat...
kaʻōkaʻa n. game of spinning small gourds like tops.
hōkaʻa nvs. dizzy; a dull ache, as in head or stomach.
lio kaʻa n. carriage horse.
kōkaʻa nvs. lean, of meat; dry, barren.
ʻolokaʻa see paukū ʻolokaʻa cylinder...
ʻolokaʻa₁ vt. to roll along, as a wheel; to remove; to transfer, as a debt.
ʻolokaʻa₂ n. stake to which a live rat was tied as a decoy in an owl-catching trap.
holo kaʻa v. to ride in a car or carriage.
holoholo kaʻa v. to go for a drive or ride. See song in EM 53–4.
kolo kaʻa see kolo₃
lolokaʻa nvs. dizziness, with spinning head; dizzy. cf. niu lolokaʻa,...
niu lolokaʻa₁ same as niu ʻōkaʻa shriveled, dry coconut meat separated from the shell...
niu lolokaʻa₂ n. dizziness.
ʻoloʻolokaʻa redup. of ʻolokaʻa roll along...
paukū ʻolokaʻa n. cylinder. Lit., revolving section.
paukū ʻolokaʻa n. cylinder, the shape.
honokaʻa₁ cavern, sea cave.
Honokaʻa₂ n. town name, Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi.
hoʻokaʻa see kaʻa₁,₄
palapala hoʻokaʻa n. receipt, as for paying a bill.
lāʻau hoʻokaʻa n. rolling pin, any wooden roller.
pōkaʻa nvt. ball, coil, roll, reel, spool, as of twine; dried pandanus leaves being kept...
līpine pōkaʻa n. reel-to-reel tape. lit., reel tape.
niu ʻōkaʻa n. shriveled, dry coconut meat separated from the shell; a nut with loose meat....
lāʻau kaʻa n. cypress (RSV), fir tree (KJV) (Zek. 11.2); terebinth...
maukaʻa same as milikaʻa do repeatedly...
paukaʻa vs. all taken, consumed.
kēpau kaʻa n. resin.
hūkaʻa n. pitch, resin, gum from a tree; resinous timber drifting to Hawaiʻi from the...
hūkaʻa n. resin, for musical instrument strings. hūkaʻa ʻea. acrylic.
kahu kaʻa n. coachman.
pahukaʻa n. juice extracted from a green gourd by pounding, said to be used in an enema.
niu kaʻa same as niu ʻōkaʻa shriveled, dry coconut meat separated from the shell...
kūkaʻa₁ nvt. roll, bolt of cloth; rolled pack, as of pandanus leaves ready for plaiting; to...
kūkaʻa₂ vs. wholesale.
ʻea kūkaʻa n. disease with swelling symptoms.
pōhaku kaʻa n. millstone, rolling stone.
pakūkaʻā n. kingfisher.
ʻae hoʻokū kaʻa n. parking permit.
uku kaʻa n. carfare, transportation charge.
hale hoʻolulu kaʻa n. bus station or terminal.
ʻōlemukaʻa n. vagabond, rover. Lit., rolling backsides.
pū kaʻa n. mounted cannon, artillery. Lit., rolling gun.
koa kaua pūkaʻa n. cannoneer.
puʻukaʻa n. a coarse native sedge (Cyperus ferax var. auriculatus),...
mauʻu puʻukaʻa same as puʻukaʻa a sedge.