Hawaiian Verb · Culture
ʻāpuka
Pronunciation: /ah-poo-kah/
Meaning
To ambush, to entrap. A military tactic involving a surprise attack.
Example sentences
Ma ka nahele, ua hoʻolālā ka pūʻali koa e ʻāpuka i ka ʻenemi.
In the forest, the army planned to ambush the enemy.
Mai ʻāpuka ʻoe i ka mea nāna ke kaʻa, e hoʻihoʻi aku.
Do not entrap the person whose car it is; return it.
Ua paʻa kona puʻuwai i ka ʻāpuka o ka haʻalele ʻana.
Her heart was caught in the entrapment of leaving.
About this word
“ʻāpuka” is a Hawaiian verb meaning To ambush, to entrap. It is part of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) vocabulary in the category of Culture. Definitions are based on the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary.