Hawaiian Noun · Nature
hōkū kau
Pronunciation: /HOH-koo KAH-oo/
Meaning
Zenith star; a star directly overhead.
Example sentences
I ka waenakonu o ka pō, ua ʻike mākou i ka hōkū kau ma luna o ko mākou halelewa.
In the middle of the night, we saw the zenith star above our tent.
Me ke alakaʻi ʻike hōkū, ua hiki iā mākou ke hoʻoholo i ko mākou wahi ma ke ana ʻana i ka hōkū kau.
With the star-navigation guide, we were able to determine our location by measuring the zenith star.
Ua kū mākou a pau me ka nānā ʻana i ka hōkū kau, he hōʻailona ia o ka maikaʻi.
We all stood and gazed at the zenith star, a symbol of good fortune.
About this word
“hōkū kau” is a Hawaiian noun meaning Zenith star; a star directly overhead. It is part of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) vocabulary in the category of Nature. Definitions are based on the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary.