Wētā, n. Hemideina megacephala (tree weta), Pachyrhamna acanthocera (cave weta), and other species; insects. I utaina mai ki taua waka he weri, he weta, he whe, he kekerengu (W. ii, 177). Wētā punga, Deinacrida heteracantha, giant weta. = tokoriro.
Williams Dictionary
Weta, n. 1. Dirt, excrement. ‖ paraweta, karaweta.
2. A wisp of grass used to cleanse the anus of a corpse. Ka tae ki te tuaahu, ki Te Koare, ka mahue te weta o te tupapaku. ‖ Sh. Myth. 56.
Williams Dictionary