noun
dodo
DOH-doh
noun
1
A large flightless bird from Mauritius that became extinct in the 1600s.
"The dodo vanished not long after sailors arrived on the island."
2
A person or idea considered hopelessly outdated.
"Critics called the old policy a dodo, ready to be replaced."
How to Use Dodo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe extinct flightless bird, now used figuratively for anything hopelessly outdated.
Common pairings
dead as a dodo
go the way of the dodo
Word Forms
dodoes plural, dodos plural
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The _____ vanished not long after sailors arrived on the island.
Etymology
Origin uncertain, possibly from an old Portuguese word for "fool" or from Dutch dodaars; first recorded in the 1600s.