Hawaiian Verb · Everyday
ʻōwaʻu
Pronunciation: /O-WA-u/
Meaning
To grate or to scrape. Creating a rough surface.
Example sentences
Hoʻomākaukau ʻo ia i ka niu me ka ʻōwaʻu.
She is preparing the coconut with the grater.
Hōʻike mai ʻo ia i ka ʻōwaʻu o ka lāʻau ma kona kapa.
He showed the roughness of the wood on his tapa.
Ua lohe au i ke kani ʻōwaʻu o ka pōhaku ke huki ʻia ma luna o ke alanui.
I heard the scraping sound of the rock when it was dragged across the road.
About this word
“ʻōwaʻu” is a Hawaiian verb meaning To grate or to scrape. It is part of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) vocabulary in the category of Everyday. Definitions are based on the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary.