dodo
dodo Lexical Profile
dodo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An extinct, heavily built, flightless bird (Raphus cucullatus) that was endemic to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, known for its clumsy appearance and lack of natural predators.
"The dodo was driven to extinction in the late 17th century due to human hunting and the introduction of invasive species to Mauritius."
A person who is perceived as dull-witted, foolish, or hopelessly out of touch with modern trends.
"He felt like an absolute dodo for pressing 'reply all' on the confidential company email."
Something that is completely obsolete, outmoded, or no longer in use.
"With the rise of smartphones, the traditional rotary telephone has become a complete dodo."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently appears in the common idiom "as dead as a dodo" to emphasize that something is unequivocally extinct, obsolete, or definitively a thing of the past.
• Rhymes for dodo
Word Origin & Etymology
Early 17th century: from Portuguese 'doudo' (now 'doido'), meaning 'fool' or 'simpleton', likely reflecting the bird's apparent lack of fear of humans due to evolving without natural predators.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.