: 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
Evolution went even further in New Zealand’s moas, which were completely wingless.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
This was a catastrophic blow for Haast’s eagle, whose survival depended almost entirely on moa populations.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Species like the moa of New Zealand and the dodo of Mauritius disappeared within decades of first human contact.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
The varied moa species of ancient New Zealand, the enormous elephant birds of Madagascar and even the recently extinct dodo of Mauritius are all examples of what can happen when birds settle in on islands.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for moa
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
This was a catastrophic blow for Haast’s eagle, whose survival depended almost entirely on moa populations.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Species like the moa of New Zealand and the dodo of Mauritius disappeared within decades of first human contact.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
The varied moa species of ancient New Zealand, the enormous elephant birds of Madagascar and even the recently extinct dodo of Mauritius are all examples of what can happen when birds settle in on islands.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for moa
Cite this Entry
“Moa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moa. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moa
noun
: any of various usually very large extinct birds of New Zealand that were not able to fly
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share