English

Noun

pooka ‎(plural pookas)

1. A fairy that supposedly appears in animal form, often large.

   The pooka had befriended the kindly old man.

   • 1833 July, “Laurie on Grand Juries”, in The Westminster Review - Volume 19, page 88:

     The Pooka is an animal of which, partly from the darkness of the night, and partly from the darkness that he carries about with him, the precise outline, especially of the head and neck, can never be distinguished.

   • 1944, Mary Chase, Harvey (play):

     P-O-O-K-A. Pooka. Form old Celtic mythology, a fairy spirit in animal form, always very large. The pooka appears here and there, now and then, to this one and that one. A benign but mischievous creature. Very fond of rumpots, crackpots, and how are you, Mr. Wilson?

Etymology 2

From Hawaiian puka ‎(“hole”).

Noun

pooka ‎(plural pookas)

1. A convenient storage location or hiding spot created by the arrangement or form of surrounding objects

Usage notes

Incorporated from Hawaiian into English by sailors in the US Navy as a name for a place (especially aboard a ship) to store or hide objects, or the action of storing an object in such a place.

See also

• pooka on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• Harvey - the 1950 film.