New Zealand, Historical A fortified Maori settlement, especially of pre-European times.
The very existence of fortified pā was often a sign that those who lived near such complexes sought to discourage attack and wanted to make conflict less likely, not more so.2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 71:
A pa or Māori defence fortification appears at a height on the hill above the bay.2020, Sujit Sivasundaram, Waves Across the South, William Collins, published 2021, page 68:
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New Zealand Any Maori village or settlement; a kainga.