Meanings
nounpounamu (uncountable)
alternative poenamu
- New ZealanduncountableJade, nephrite.
“They didn't exactly eat off pounamu plates, but they left quite a bit to us all.”
1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 2331 more example
Over time, the hooks became increasingly stylized and now are a popular shape for decorative pounamu pendants called hei matau, the first word indicating that the matau is worn around the neck.
2021 June 12, Charlotte Graham-McLay, “In New Zealand, the Fishhook Pendant Called Hei Matau”, in The New York Times
Origin
- Māoripounamu
- Māoripounamu
- Englishpounamu
Borrowed from Māori pounamu.
More words from Māori
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
pounamu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pounamu
MLA
“pounamu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pounamu. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pounamu,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pounamu.
Source: pounamu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.