Nyaudzosingwi starting with KW

Figurative Expressions

• kwabuDescribes opening something by force; also pulling something off by force from where it was stuck fast.
• kwabvuVariant spelling of "gwabvu".
• kwachaThe sound of things falling to the ground noisily. When the thief tried to fish out a wallet full of money, the owner turned round, and the wallet fell with a kwacha.
• kwachaThe clattering noise made by pieces of metal striking against one another, as in: when we heard the gate go kwacha kwacha we knew at once that those thieves had come back. Compare kweche kweche.
• kwachanuDescribes forcibly pulling apart things that were joined together.
• kwachataUsed of money falling to the ground with a noise and scattering all over the place.
• kwachuDescribes biting off a piece with the teeth forcefully. Also of taking money or a quantity of other things all at one go.
• kwachuDescribes answering someone angrily.
• kwachuDescribes counting paper money one note at a time.
• kwadabuDescribes pulling something off from where it is stuck; also lifting something away from where it lies in order to see what is underneath it.
• kwakuDescribes setting off suddenly, without any warning. As in: when the thief saw the police he shot into the car and sped off.
• kwakuDescribes jumping, hopping or springing a short distance, as a flea does. Also used of dishing out a small amount of food from the pot onto a plate.
• kwakwanuDescribes the peeling away of something from where it was stuck, as in: he eased off the bandage he had on gently, because it had stuck to the hair on his legs.
• kwakwara kwakwara
• kwakwashaVariant spelling of "kakasha".
• kwakwasha kwakwashaDescribes the movement of some large-bodied creature or thing through grass or trees.
• kwamuDescribes slapping someone across the face or on the head. Also describes stripping bark off a tree, or pulling something off the place where it was stuck fast.
• kwanguDescribes finishing off the little that is left. VaPasi arrived at VaZijena's place and drank up all the beer kwangu, so that VaZijena found nothing but an empty pot. Compare kwengu.
• kwangwaDescribes listening very intently, with the ears fully pricked up. Compare -bengwa.
• kwangwa ngwaDescribes opening the ears wide and listening very closely so as to hear everything that is being said.
• kwangwamaDescribes the way something that is not level with the rest sticks out or protrudes.
• kwanyanuDescribes the sudden, hurried getting up of a person from where they had been sitting.
• kwanzuDescribes splitting firewood, or something else, lengthwise along its grain. Compare kwazu, banzu.
• kwapuDescribes being struck in the face with a slap all of a sudden. Chipo only felt her face go numb after being hit kwapu with a slap she never even saw coming.
• kwara kwaraDescribes the running of an animal whose paws are spread wide apart, such as a lion or a hare.
• kwarabvuDescribes scratching oneself with the fingernails so as to leave very long marks.
• kwaradzuVariant spelling of "kwarabvu".
• kwarakwashuDescribes getting up in great haste, as done by someone who had been sitting or lying down. Also used of doing something hurriedly without having told anyone beforehand that you were going to do it.
• kwarakwashukuTo sleepwalk is to wake up in a dream and start walking immediately.
• kwaranzuDescribes scratching with the fingernails very quickly, leaving behind long pale streaks.
• kwaru kwaru
• kwashuDescribes a rope or bark-strap snapping right through into two pieces. Also describes starting on something in a great hurry, and sometimes without warning: Mother set off for the field so early that by the time grandfather arrived she had already gone.
• kwasvaiDescribes looking down at the ground out of shyness or embarrassment.
• kwasvataDescribes the caving in of something, as happens to a ball or a tyre that has lost its air.
• kwasveDescribes pushing the water at the sides of a boat backwards so that the boat moves forward.
• kwataDescribes the falling to the ground of something light in weight.
• kwatanu
• kwataraDescribes something falling to the ground from the sky or from somewhere high up.
• kwatiDescribes going right up close to something; also of placing a thing where it fits exactly.
• kwatsamuDescribes striking a person with an open-handed slap. Compare kwatsu.
• kwatsuVariant spelling of "kwatsamu".
• kwatuDescribes striking very hard with a switch or with an open hand.
• kwatuDescribes the removal of a skin or some other outer covering that was concealing what lay inside or underneath.
• kwauDescribes stripping or peeling a length of bark-rope off its tree.
• kwauDescribes extreme dryness, as when water has dried up in a river or in a pot on the fire. It is the dam that is drying up our river, because ever since it was built the river has never been seen properly full.
• kwauDescribes cutting a very small slice off a piece of fatty meat.
• kwavararaTo sleep prostrate means to lie on your stomach with your whole body touching the ground.
• kwazhamuDescribes striking someone on the face or head with a really painful slap; also of knocking leaves or fruit off a tree with stones or sticks so that they fall to the ground.
• kwazhauDescribes the falling of many fruits or leaves brought down from a tree.
• kwazuVariant spelling of "kwanzu".
• kwazvuDescribes stripping meat off where it is stuck fast to the bone.
• kweDescribes the quick striking of a matchstick against its box in the wish to make the match light.
• kwe-eDescribes seizing hold of something and immediately beginning to drag it along.
• kwe-eThe loud hooting or wailing sound made by a train as it is about to arrive at or pull out of a station.
• kweba kwebaDescribes the walk of a tired person, who moves along dragging the legs with the body all slumped. Compare kwebede kwebede.
• kwebede kwebedeDescribes the walk of a person who shows that they are exhausted. As in: on his way back from the field he trudged along like this. Compare kweba kweba.
• kwecheDescribes putting the ball into the goal. Before long our football team knocked in another goal kweche, and the whole ground seemed about to burst with people cheering.
• kweche kwecheThe sound made by hosho rattles.
• kwedeDescribes things fitting into one another, one slipping inside the other. As in: the bolt we thought was too big slid right into the hole in the plough.
• kwedeDescribes something dropping into something that is open, has a hole in it, or into a pit. When the second goal went in kwede, we knew we had no chance left, as very little time remained before the end of the match.
• kwedeya kwedeyaDescribes the way a person may walk a little while showing signs of tiredness.
• kweguDescribes showing signs of old age, or of being worn out and shabby.
• kwekwerereVariant spelling of "kekerere".
• kwenha kwenhaUsed when a person walks along in a manner that shows they are angry.
• kwenja kwenjaDescribes the walk of an emaciated person, as though their bones were rattling. When someone has been seriously ill, they end up going kwenja kwenja.
• kwenyu
• kwenyu kwenyuDescribes scratching repeatedly at a place that is itching. Example: I only scratched this rash a little and it then began to bleed.
• kwerekwesheThe sound made by something that moves along dragging its belly. A lizard went kwerekweshe across the bare rock.
• kwerendendeDescribes the movement of people or animals gathered together and going along in one direction.
• kwerevaDescribes a person standing still, showing that they are at a loss over something that has happened and taken them by surprise. Example: when the ball was put through the goal, the goalkeeper was left just standing there.
• kwesereDescribes a perfect fit: when a peg sits kwesere in its hole, the two match exactly. Of a person, to be full kwesere is to have arrived completely, to be a thoroughly upright person. "I do not think Paradzai is entirely kwesere to me, because what he did to me in front of everyone left me ashamed with nowhere to hide."
• kweshe kwesheThe noise made when someone rubs metal against something hard. The axe went kweshe kweshe as it was being sharpened on the rock.
• kwesva kwesvaUsed when a person walks along showing shame at what they have done. Example: He walked off out of the field where he had been stealing maize, after being caught there by the owners of the field.
• kwetsemuDescribes striking someone in the face with a hard slap.
• kweya kweyaDescribes walking a little way with a slow, shuffling gait.
• kwiDescribes gripping something firmly. Example: the policeman seized the thief by the hand.
• kwibaDescribes covering something up quickly. He took the lid and covered the sadza kwiba.
• kwibuDescribes people suddenly bursting into laughter. We all went kwibu when the teacher scolded John.
• kwichoUsed of a person suddenly being seized by the throat without expecting it. Example: as they fought, Ngoni was all at once grabbed by the throat by Farai, so much so that he could scarcely even breathe.
• kwida kwidaDescribes walking along with one's eyes on the ground, showing that one is aggrieved or sulking.
• kwidibaDescribes covering something up all of a sudden. When they saw people coming towards their home, they clapped the lid on the pot of maize kwidiba and tucked it away behind the others. As he went on crying, he was suddenly given a slap kwidiba, and then fell silent.
• kwidzi kwidziDescribes the glittering, flashing shine given off by a garment covered in sparkling specks.
• kwindiUsed of the sky when it is heavy with thick cloud and darkened. Of a person, to be kwindi is to wear a joyless face and not speak to others.
• kwindimaUsed of a person whose face is tense rather than relaxed, wearing a frightening expression.
• kwindingwiDescribes the look of the sky outside when it is heavy with clouds and about to rain.
• kwindingwi kwindingwiThe sound of a drum being beaten. When the dance began we heard the drum going kwindingwi kwindingwi.
• kwingwiriDescribes something that stands raised up higher than the places surrounding it.
• kwinya kwinyaDescribes a person walking about with no clothes on. A madman went kwinya kwinya walking down the road.
• kwipuDescribes striking someone with a whip that coils around the one being beaten. He struck the beast kwipu with the whip. Also describes the springing of a set trap, as a spring trap does.
• kwirindindiUsed of a person who is sullen and scowling, unwilling to make conversation.
• kwishuVariant spelling of "gwishu".
• kwitiDescribes suddenly turning up at or entering a place unexpectedly. Father suddenly appeared kwiti from Harare when we were not expecting him, so that he found us lounging about with our closest friends.
• kwitikwitiDescribes the movement of many people arriving at a place, as refugees arriving at a country's border. Also used of many people or things moving down a slope.
• kwitiriDescribes someone turning up suddenly and quite unexpectedly. Compare kwiti.
• kwiyoThe cry of a hen.
• kwizhizhiUsed of having rough, coarse skin, or of looking unattractive.
• kwizuDescribes scrubbing or wiping something vigorously. He gave his shoes a hard kwizu kwizu with the brush, slipped them onto his feet pfe pfe, and was out the door dhugu.