A Maori-language term used in New Zealand for a burial ground or cemetery, specifically one associated with Maori cultural practice. An urupa is a sacred site deserving respect, and disturbing one is considered highly offensive in Maori custom. The word is commonly encountered in New Zealand English in discussions of land rights, heritage, and cultural protocol. Pronounced approximately 'oo-roo-pah.'
The iwi requested that the proposed road be rerouted to avoid the urupa at the edge of the bush.
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(NZ) In Māori culture, a burial ground.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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