Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hapua

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: ha-pua
IPA

10

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

a river-mouth lagoon, chiefly in New Zealand, formed at the interface between a braided river and a mixed sand and gravel beach deposited and extended by longshore drift.

Example Sentences

"Given the spectrum of hapua that exist in Canterbury more studies are needed on the effects of river flow changes on the hapua represented in Table CS5.1. The next section examines the scientific basis for determining and managing the impacts of development on hapua environments within the current New Zealand resource and environmental management framework."
"Hapua take the form of generally coast-parallel bodies of predominantly fresh water impounded by a long, narrow spit formed of coarse sediments by longshore drift offsetting at a river mouth."

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori hāpua (“be hollow, depressed like a valley, be hollowed out, scooped out”).

Word Breakdown

Root: hāpua

Questions

What does hapua mean?: a river-mouth lagoon, chiefly in New Zealand, formed at the interface between a braided river and a mixed sand and gravel beach deposited and extended by longshore drift.
Where does hapua come from?: Borrowed from Māori hāpua (“be hollow, depressed like a valley, be hollowed out, scooped out”).

How to pronounce hapua

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hapua”.
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