paua

P3A1U1A1
UK, US/ˈpɑːwə/New Zealand/ˈpɐːwɘ/

noun

Any of several large, edible abalones of New Zealand, especially Haliotis iris, whose shell is used to make jewelry.

OriginMāori pāua →
UncommonFirst used 19th c.Scrabble 6
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Meanings

nounpaua (plural pauas or paua)

plural pauas

  1. New ZealandAny of several large, edible abalones of New Zealand, especially Haliotis iris, whose shell is used to make jewelry.First known use 19th c.

    “Hey, we got paua for tea, Himi!” he calls, and comes to the base of the cliff.

    1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 203
  2. New ZealandThe shell of this mollusc.
  3. New ZealandA fish hook made from this shell.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
abalone

Origin

  1. Māoripāua
  2. Māoripāua
  3. Englishpaua

Borrowed from Māori pāua.

More words from Māori

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

paua. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paua

MLA

“paua.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paua. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paua,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paua.

Source: paua on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.