aken.
/ˈaki/, U.S. /ˈæki/, New Zealand English /ˈʌke/, /ˈʌki/ New Zealand. Now rare.
= akeake n.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > names applied to various species of trees or shrubs > [noun]
purslanec1400
mast tree1597
laburnum1693
whitebark1700
jatropha1754
quince1794
honey bush1813
snake-wood1832
ake1835
akeake1841
fire tree1851
flame-tree1866
subtree1878
1820 T. Kendall & S. Lee Gram. & Vocab. Lang. N.Z. 133 A'ke, name of a certain tree.]
1835 W. Yate Acct. N.Z. (ed. 2) ii. 47 Aki, called the Lignum vitæ of New Zealand.
1840 J. S. Polack Manners & Customs New Zealanders II. 261 The Akki a species of lignum vitæ, when young is much used for boat-timbers.
1844 Barnicoat's Jrnl. (MS.) 188 New Zealand woods, totara, haki, mairi.
1851 E. Wilson New Zealand 43 The ake (Dodonæa spatulata) and towai..are almost equal, in point of colour, to rosewood.
1879 J. Hector Handbk. N.Z. 94 Ake.—A small tree, 6–12 feet high. Wood very hard, variegated black and white; used for Native clubs.
1912 R. Quinton Strange Adventures Captain Quinton ii. 17 These [war] clubs are usually made from the wood of the ake tree, which is excessively hard and strong and variegated black and white.
1951 A. L. Hunt Confessions 137 The wood of some of them is so remarkably durable..that the Maoris call them Ake, which means ‘for ever’ or eternal.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1835