dodo

noun

do·do | \ ˈdō-(ˌ)dō

How to pronounce dodo (audio)

\

plural dodoes or dodos

Definition of dodo

1a : an extinct heavy flightless bird (Raphus cucullatus synonym Didus ineptus of the family Raphidae) of the island of Mauritius that was larger than a turkey and was related to the pigeon

b : an extinct flightless bird (Raphus solitarius) of the island of Réunion similar to and closely related to the dodo

2a : one hopelessly behind the times

b : a stupid person

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about dodo

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Examples of dodo in a Sentence

That dodo can't do anything right. I feel like a complete dodo.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, diversity of approach has gone the way of the dodo bird. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "You get a whiff of failure when boiling down baseball numbers," 22 June 2019 But if quantum physicists have their way, such weaknesses will soon go the way of the dodo. — Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, "The Quantum Internet Is Emerging, One Experiment at a Time," 19 June 2019 The most pointed of the prints show the rings of a tree, each signifying some historic event dating as far back as the construction of the Great Wall of China, the destruction of Pompeii, the extinction of the dodo. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, "Insects swarm over Flo-Gris as part of ’Fragile Earth’ exhibit," 6 June 2019 Extinct flightless birds—the moa of New Zealand and the dodo—were favorites, along with the Yangtze River dolphin. — Amy Dockser Marcus, WSJ, "Meet the Scientists Bringing Extinct Species Back From the Dead," 9 Oct. 2018 After dodos disappeared from Mauritius, in the seventeenth century, naturalists came to believe that the bird had only been a legend. — Brooke Jarvis, The New Yorker, "The Obsessive Search for the Tasmanian Tiger," 16 Jan. 2012 Museum of ZoologyNerd out over skeletons of extinct creatures like the dodo at this on campus institution, which reopened in June after a five-year restoration. — Jo Rodgers, Condé Nast Traveler, "Cambridge Is Worth More than Just a Day Trip from London," 17 Oct. 2018 Suits may be going the way of the dodo and sneakers may be infiltrating the cubicle, but can a man at least deign to tuck in his shirt on weekdays? — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "Please, Men of the World, Tuck in Your Shirts," 29 Aug. 2018 Polemicists lament that cursive is going the way of the dodo. — Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, "Not Your Average Autograph Collection," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dodo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near dodo

do dinner/lunch

Statistics for dodo

Last Updated

2 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for dodo

The first known use of dodo was in 1628

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More Definitions for dodo

dodo

noun

English Language Learners Definition of dodo

: a type of bird that lived in the past and that was large, heavy, and unable to fly

US, informal + humorous : a stupid or silly person

See the full definition for dodo in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dodo

noun

do·do | \ ˈdō-dō

\

plural dodoes or dodos

Kids Definition of dodo

: a large heavy bird unable to fly that once lived on some of the islands of the Indian Ocean

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WORD OF THE DAY

auxiliary

providing supplementary assistance

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