Illustration of dodo
- dodo 1a
plural dodoes or dodos
1
a
: an extinct heavy flightless bird (Raphus cucullatus synonym Didus ineptus of the family Columbidae) 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
2
a
: one hopelessly behind the times
b
: a stupid person
Examples of dodo in a Sentence
That dodo can't do anything right.
I feel like a complete dodo.
Recent Examples on the Web
The company also aspires to de-extinct mammoths, dodos and Tasmanian tigers.
—
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
Keyte, the dodo director, reported that her group had been looking at the ninety thousand genetic differences between the dodo and its extant relatives, trying to map out which gene or genes were responsible for which characteristic.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
And Colossal is also attempting to bring back the dodo, which went extinct more than 300 years ago.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
Colossal is also making progress on another project, announced in 2023, to bring back the dodo.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dodo
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Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
Keyte, the dodo director, reported that her group had been looking at the ninety thousand genetic differences between the dodo and its extant relatives, trying to map out which gene or genes were responsible for which characteristic.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
And Colossal is also attempting to bring back the dodo, which went extinct more than 300 years ago.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
Colossal is also making progress on another project, announced in 2023, to bring back the dodo.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dodo
Cite this Entry
“Dodo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dodo. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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dodo
noun
do·do
ˈdōd-ō 
plural dodoes or dodos
1
: a large heavy flightless extinct bird related to the pigeons and formerly found on some of the islands of the Indian Ocean
2
a
: a person who is hopelessly behind the times
b
: a stupid person
Etymology
from Portuguese doudo, name given by Portuguese sailors to the bird, from doudo (adjective) "silly, stupid"
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