tāparuparu, (-a, ‘ia), fq. tāparu.

1. Make something lax, limp, flabby, yielding.

Kua tāparuparu ‘aia i te pate.
He softened up the putty.

2. Break soil up fine.

Kua ma‘ore te pākiri i tōku mangamangā-rima i tōku tāparuparu‘anga i te one nō te mārōki‘aki‘a.
I took the skin off my fingers breaking up the clods of earth, they were so hard.

3. Coax, persuade, mollify.

Kua tāparuparu ‘aia i te tangata kia tā‘okota‘i rātou i te rave‘anga i te ‘anga‘anga.
He talked the people into working together on the job;

Kua ngaro tōna riri i tōku tāparuparu‘anga iāia.
He recovered his temper as I soothed him down;

‘Akaoti i tā‘au tāparuparu iāku.
Stop softening me up.

4. n. A pad, padding.

Kua ‘oko tāparuparu mai au nō te ‘oro‘enua.
I bought a collar pad for the horse.