moa

noun

ˈmō-ə How to pronounce moa (audio)
: any of various usually very large extinct flightless birds of New Zealand of a ratite order (Dinornithiformes) including two (Dinornis robustus and D. novaezelandiae of the family Dinornithidae) nearly 12 feet (3.7 meters) in height

Examples of moa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Animals that are also on the company’s de-extinction to-do list include the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, the ostrich-like moa, and the antelope-like quagga. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026 But what is underway at Colossal, besides the dire wolf and woolly mammoth projects, is work to genetically engineer the dodo bird, the Tasmanian tiger, and a giant bird called a moa, among others. — Colleen McKown, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026 The company now hopes to use the technology to bring back extinct birds, including the dodo and the giant moa. — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 28 May 2026 Colossal co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm acknowledged that a long road will have to be traversed to move from hatching baby chickens to resurrecting the moa by email. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for moa

Word History

Etymology

Maori

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of moa was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

-mo
moa
Moab
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moa. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

moa

noun
ˈmō-ə How to pronounce moa (audio)
: any of various usually very large extinct birds of New Zealand that were not able to fly

More from Merriam-Webster on moa

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about moa

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