moa

Definition

Any of several species of large, extinct, flightless birds of the family Dinornithidae that were native to New Zealand; until its extinction, one species was the largest bird in the world.

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori moa, from Proto-Polynesian *moa (“fowl”).

Example Sentences

• "The moas (order Dinornithiformes) of New Zealand are likewise extinct but almost certainly some still survived when Tasman first sighted the islands in 1642."
• "For instance, the little bush moa fed nearly exclusively on forest vegetation, whereas the heavy-footed moa was a grazer in open vegetation habitats."