waka

[ wah-kuh ]

noun

, plural wa·ka, wa·kas.

1. Prosody. tanka.
2. poetry written in Japanese, as distinct from poetry written in Chinese by a Japanese writer, or poetry in other languages.

waka

/ ˈwɔːkə /

noun

1. a Māori canoe, usually made from a tree trunk
2. a tribal group claiming descent from the first Māori settlers in New Zealand

Word History and Origins

Origin of waka¹

1875–80; < Japanese: literally, Japanese song < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese hé harmony (as a euphemistic reading of the character for wō dwarf, an ancient Chinese designation for the Japanese ) + gē song

Word History and Origins

Origin of waka¹

Māori

Example Sentences

On the last day of early voting, they had a DJ cranking out rap from Young Jeezy and Waka Flocka Flame, and a line of food trucks serving free French fries, Philly cheesesteaks and shaved ice.

From Los Angeles Times

These are some of the offerings and areas served by Club Waka, a national organization that offers social sports for players of all skill levels.

From Los Angeles Times

In the documentary, rapper Waka Flocka Flame goes as far as saying that Trump was more like Tupac Shakur — a monumental figure in hip-hop — than Barack Obama was.

From Seattle Times

"The wind turbine technology employed in New Zealand is consistent with that used internationally," explains lead author Isabella Pimentel Pincelli from the Sustainable Energy Systems research group, Wellington Faculty of Engineering, at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington.

From Science Daily

Various works written in traditional “waka” style were presented Friday, solemnly read aloud in a sing-song way, like a chant, as the imperial family watched.

From Seattle Times