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Definition of moa

moa

/ˈmoʊ.ə/
mo · a

Plural:moas
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moa Lexical Profile

moa Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

New Zealand Any of several species of large, extinct, flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, belonging to the order Dinornithiformes, which lacked even vestigial wings and were hunted to extinction by early Polynesian settlers.

Example

"Paleontologists recently uncovered a remarkably well-preserved skeleton of a giant moa in a cave system on New Zealand's South Island."

• Rhymes for moa

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Māori 'moa', originally used to describe these extinct flightless birds, and cognate with widespread Polynesian words for 'fowl' or 'chicken' (such as Hawaiian 'moa').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Moa. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/moa
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