Motu (i). 1. a. Severed. Ka tapahia te arero, ka motu (T. 42). He mare motu, a cough in which the phlegm comes away.
2. Separated, moved to a distance. Ka motu ki te ara (When they had gone some distance on the road) (T. 198). Ka motu koe ko tawhiti (M. 62). Ka motu ki Hawaiki (M. 104).
3. Set free, escaped. Me te weka ka motu i te mahanga (T. 170). Tana kiri aritahi i motu mai i te reinga (M. 347).
4. Broken off, cut, as a rope, etc. I motu mai i whea te rimu o te moana ? (P. 33).
5. Cut, wounded. Kei motu koe i te toki na.
6. n. Anything isolated. E noho kotahi nei tona motu, ko ia anake (M. 230).
7. Island. Ko tetehi rahinga i te motu, i Mokoia, e noho ana (T. 80).
8. Clump of trees. Tena kei te motu ko te manu kopakopa (M. 182).
9. Ship, in the expression motu tawhiti.
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10. Cut, wound.
motunga, n. Faggot.
momotu, v.t. (pass. motuhia). Sever, separate. Ki taku taonga ra ka momotu ki tawhiti (S. ii, 79). He whakakai taringa … ka motuhia mai e au i te taringa (J. ii, 226).
mōmotu, motumotu. n. Firebrand. He toro motumotu, he toro ngarahu, ka tahu ki whea ? (M. 286). Motumotu tōroa, a skid for a canoe; also, apparently, the ama connecting the outrigger.
motumotu. 1. n. A charm and rite used by fowlers and fishers, included in the class known as kaha.
2. In the expression motumotu taka, applied to a person who mishandles property in the owner's absence. takahi motumotu.
3. a. Divided into isolated portions.
4. Appearing like islands. E ! ka motumotu rapea te whenua e haerea ana e Te Ponga ma (T. 171).
Williams Dictionary
