Tātua. 1. n. Girdle. Ka mau te koroheke nei ki te tatua (T. 198). Tatua whara, or tatua pupara, was a girdle in which valuables were carried. The word is used in several proverbial expressions: Te tatua o Hikakawa, food. Te tatua o Te Kaha, red clouds at sunset. Te tatua o Kahu, belt of clear sky near the horizon.
2. v.t. Put on as a girdle. Ka whakahua i tana karakia mo tana tatuatanga i tona maro (T. 97).
Williams Dictionary