: 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
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Recently, Colossal announced plans to resurrect the long-extinct New Zealand bird species, the moa, at the urging of filmmaker Peter Jackson, who is an investor in Colossal.
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Mike Snider, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief scientist, told AP that the first step in the project is finding moa bones that may still hold potential DNA.
—Emlyn Travis Published, EW.com, 9 July 2025
Museum specimens of moa remains satisfy some of that demand, but DNA degrades significantly over the centuries and what can’t be harvested from private collections has to be dug up in field excavations—with a special eye to long, DNA-rich moa bones like the femur and tibia.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 July 2025
An advisor on the moa project, Jackson helped involve the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 9 July 2025
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Mike Snider, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief scientist, told AP that the first step in the project is finding moa bones that may still hold potential DNA.
—Emlyn Travis Published, EW.com, 9 July 2025
Museum specimens of moa remains satisfy some of that demand, but DNA degrades significantly over the centuries and what can’t be harvested from private collections has to be dug up in field excavations—with a special eye to long, DNA-rich moa bones like the femur and tibia.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 8 July 2025
An advisor on the moa project, Jackson helped involve the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 9 July 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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moa
noun
: any of various usually very large extinct birds of New Zealand that were not able to fly
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